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Cruise, the self-driving unit of GM, introduced at present that it might be bringing its robotaxis to Charlotte, NC. The corporate stated that it has began preliminary testing throughout town and shall be working in the direction of providing driverless rides.
Charlotte would be the eighth metropolis that Cruise has began operations in, with the primary seven being San Francisco, the place the corporate relies, Phoenix, Austin, Houston, Dallas, Miami, and most lately Nashville. The corporate has deployed its robotaxis up to now in three cities, San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin.
Cruise has been quickly increasing its robotaxi operations within the final 12 months. Whereas it took the corporate 33 months to obtain all of the regulatory approval it wanted to start rides in San Francisco, in accordance with Vogt, for the corporate’s subsequent deployment places in Phoenix and Austin it took simply three weeks, and the corporate appears to solely be transferring quicker since then.
Extra lately, Cruise expanded its Arizona service space by 20 instances, and simply final week, the California Public Utilities Fee (CPUC) voted to grant Cruise its last allow, permitting it to cost for all rides, increase hourly operations and repair space, and add as many robotaxis to its fleet because it needs.
Whereas Cruise has had a lot success in rolling out its robotaxi companies, it hasn’t been with out challenges. Earlier this 12 months, the corporate issued a voluntary recall of 300 Cruise autos with the Nationwide Freeway Transportation Security Administration (NHTSA). The recall was in response to a minor collision the place a Cruise robotaxi hit the again of a San Francisco bus.
Cruise’s autonomous driving system can also be at present being investigated by NHTSA. In a submitting, NHSTA stated it was concerned about two completely different points that had been reported to the administration that each outcome within the robotaxis changing into hazards for others on the street.