Auto giant General Motors revives its autonomous vehicle initiative, over a year since the robotaxi mishap involving Cruise.

Auto giant General Motors revives its autonomous vehicle initiative, over a year since the robotaxi mishap involving Cruise.

General Motors (GM) has undergone a significant shift in its approach to autonomous vehicles, focusing more on personal vehicles rather than robotaxis, following a series of incidents.

Key Developments

1. From Robotaxis to Personal Vehicles
2. Paused Projects: After a Cruise robotaxi struck and dragged a woman for 20 feet in October 2023, GM temporarily halted its driverless operations[1][3].
3. New Direction: The automaker has since refocused its efforts on developing autonomous vehicles for personal use[1][3][5].
4. Hands-Free and Eyes-Free Driving
5. Initial Steps: The company plans to start with hands-free and eyes-free driving, with a human inside the vehicle, as a means to build trust and reliability in autonomous driving systems[1][5].
6. Long-term Goal: The ultimate objective is to create vehicles that can operate entirely without human intervention[1][5].
7. Resumption of Driverless Operations
8. New Talent: To drive its autonomous vehicle division forward, GM has been hiring new talent, including former Cruise employees, to enhance their autonomy team[1][5].
9. Data Collection: To support development, GM is operating human-driven vehicles on public roads, using LiDAR technology to build simulation models essential for autonomous driving advancements[1][5].

Recent Strategies and Investments

• Increased Manufacturing Capacity: GM has committed to a $4 billion investment to boost its U.S. manufacturing capacity, including expanding facilities in Michigan, Kansas, and Tennessee[3].
• Top Talent Acquisition: The hiring of Sterling Anderson, former Tesla Autopilot chief, underscores GM's emphasis on attracting top talent to drive its autonomous vehicle division forward[1][5].

In summary, GM's approach to autonomous vehicles is becoming more consumer-centric, focusing on developing personal vehicles that can eventually operate without human oversight. The company has abandoned plans to produce the autonomous cab Cruise Origin indefinitely and is instead focusing on driverless cars for personal use.

• Regulatory Uncertainty: The Cruise Origin faced regulatory uncertainty due to its unique design[6].
• Investigation: An investigation by the Justice Department was prompted by the October 2023 incident[1].
• Future Focus: During a private meeting with employees on Aug. 6, Anderson emphasized that autonomy is the future for GM[4].

[1] - CNN Business [2] - The Verge [3] - Reuters [4] - TechCrunch [5] - GM Press Release [6] - Bloomberg

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