Cruise

Cruise is a self-driving car company majority-owned by General Motors. Founded in 2013 and acquired by GM in 2016, Cruise develops autonomous vehicle technology with the goal of creating safer and more efficient transportation. The company's core product is a fleet of driverless robotaxis, which are modified Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles equipped with Cruise's self-driving software and sensor systems. These vehicles are designed to operate without a human driver, using artificial intelligence and machine learning to navigate city streets and transport passengers.

Cruise's autonomous driving system considers multiple potential paths per second, constantly adjusting to changes in road conditions and unexpected events. The company claims its technology can reduce injury-causing collisions by up to 74% compared to human drivers. Cruise began offering paid driverless rides to the public in San Francisco in February 2022, becoming the first company to launch a commercial robotaxi service in a major US city. At its peak, Cruise was operating hundreds of autonomous vehicles across multiple cities including San Francisco, Austin, Phoenix, and Houston.

However, Cruise faced significant setbacks in late 2023 following a serious accident in San Francisco. On October 2, 2023, one of Cruise's driverless vehicles struck a pedestrian who had been hit by another car, then dragged the woman for 20 feet before stopping. This incident led California regulators to suspend Cruise's operating permits, citing safety concerns. In response, Cruise voluntarily halted all driverless operations nationwide in October 2023. The accident triggered multiple government investigations and resulted in a leadership shakeup at the company, including the departure of Cruise's co-founders.

Key customers and partnerships

Cruise has formed several strategic partnerships to advance its autonomous vehicle technology. In 2018, the company partnered with Honda, which made a USD 750 million equity investment in Cruise and committed an additional USD 2 billion over 12 years for development of purpose-built autonomous vehicles. Cruise also established a collaboration with Microsoft in January 2021, with the tech giant making a significant investment in the company and providing cloud computing services.

In September 2021, Cruise announced a partnership with Walmart to launch an autonomous delivery pilot program in Phoenix, Arizona. This initiative aimed to use Cruise's self-driving vehicles for last-mile delivery of Walmart orders. Additionally, Cruise has worked with ridesharing companies like Lyft to integrate its autonomous vehicles into existing transportation networks.