GM Cruise Updates Launch Timeline
Back when GM Cruise stepped into the self-driving car spotlight, it forecasted that it would launch a self-driving fleet of electric taxis in San Francisco by the end of 2019. As we head into the second half of the year, the company announced that it was setting aside its original timeline in the interest of increased safety.
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In the announcement, released via a blog post on Medium, Cruise’s CEO Dan Ammann reported that the company is on track in terms of hiring the best talent in the industry and raising the needed capital to launch the service. According to him, launching in the Bay Area isn’t quite the walk in the park they imagined. Ammann wrote that it’s “one of the most complex urban environments that is more than 40 times more challenging than a simple suburban setting.” While Cruise needs more time to conquer the hills and tight turns of the big city, it’s confident that once it clears that hurdle it’ll be more than ready for other metro areas.
Besides increased testing to ensure the taxis are as safe as possible, Cruise will also be working in the community to make sure that there is trust between it and potential customers. It is terrifying to be the first to test new technology as a customer, especially something with such high stakes as driving. In the upcoming months, we can expect to see more partnerships with key organizations in the area, like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and first responders.
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Considering recent self-driving car accidents involving cars with companies that didn’t wait to roll out self-driving technology, we appreciate the modified timeline. We would rather these new cars be safe so they can inspire others around the world to commit to advanced technology.
News Sources: Medium and Reuters
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