Ride-share giant Uber
has announced plans to integrate Cruise
autonomous vehicles into its platform starting next year, marking a
significant step toward the widespread adoption of self-driving technology. The
corresponding collaboration will see a "dedicated number" of Chevy
Bolt-based autonomous vehicles join the fleet, which will then become available
for hire by Uber riders.
Once the service commences,
“When an Uber rider requests a qualifying ride on the Uber app, they may be
presented with the option to have that trip fulfilled by a Cruise autonomous
vehicle,” Uber said, according to
BTN. This innovative offering is expected to provide a new and
exciting way for passengers to experience urban transportation.
As of June 2024,
Cruise has already resumed supervised autonomous driving operations in a few key
cities, such as Phoenix, Houston and Dallas. According to Uber, the company has
also been continuing to test its driverless technology in Dubai.
“Cruise is on a
mission to leverage driverless technology to create safer streets and redefine
urban life,” Marc Whitten, CEO of Cruise, said in a statement.
“We are excited to partner with Uber to bring the benefits of safe, reliable,
autonomous driving to even more people, unlocking a new era of urban mobility.”
“As the largest
mobility and delivery platform, we believe Uber can play an important role in
helping to safely and reliably introduce autonomous technology to consumers and
cities around the world,” said Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, “We’re thrilled to
partner with Cruise and look forward to launching next year.”
As recently as
August 22, Cruise—a division of General Motors—wrapped up a nearly two-year
investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
into “hard braking” problems with its products. . The resolution involved
recalling nearly 1,200 of its robotaxis to install new software designed to
enhance the vehicles' perception capabilities.
The company has
been under scrutiny since October 2023, facing active investigations by the
Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission after an
incident in San Francisco in which one of its robotaxis hit and dragged a
pedestrian 20 feet.
A study published
in the New Scientist in June found that autonomous vehicles can be considered
safer than those driven by humans, although exceptions were noted for certain
lighting conditions and specific maneuvers, such as making turns.
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