GM Cruise, a self-driving subsidiary of General Motors Co GM, has agreed to recall nearly 1,200 robotaxi vehicles to finalise authorities’ investigation into past crashes.
According to Reuters on the 22nd local time, as a result of the recall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has agreed to end its investigation into the three crashes in December 2022.
The management disagreed with NHTSA’s conclusion that the recall was necessary, but agreed to carry out the recall to close the investigation.
The agreement is particularly important as competitor Google’s Waymo has widened the distance between them.
Initially, GM Cruise started paying for commercialization one step faster than Waymo, but it had to stop operating due to a series of accidents, including a crash last year. As a result, the company decided to suspend production of its existing self-driving robotaxi cruise origin indefinitely, and to begin production of its modified Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicle next year.
In the meantime, Google’s Waymo has been expanding its service area significantly and announcing a $5 billion investment plan, more than doubling the number of paid rides in the last three months to 100,000 per week.
JULIE KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
