Cruise, General Motors’ self-driving robotaxi service, has been exponentially growing over the course of the 2023 calendar year. While some of this growth is the result of expansion into new cities, like Miami and Houston, the sheer number of Cruise AV units has also been increasing. Now, it appears as though the number is roughly in the 400 range.
During the Q2 2023 earnings report presentation, Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt claimed that “we recently hit 390 concurrent driverless AVs. We believe this is the largest and fastest-growing AV fleet in the world. Yet you will see several times this scale within the next six months. This is all on the Bolt platform, which we can scale to thousands of AVs, but we’re also about to transition to Origins, which are a game changer for cost and are incredible to ride in.”
This is an important trend for the autonomous driving subsidiary, as Cruise is increasingly become more economically viable for The General. In fact, although Cruise continues to drain the Detroit-based automaker’s coffers, the operating costs per mile for the AV units has fallen by an average 15 percent monthly over the first half of 2023.
This positive development comes on the heels of efficiency improvements that help to reduce overall costs, including optimizations, infrastructure, automation, and “process improvements”. To that point, Vogt points to Cruise’s ground-up approach, which allows the company to design the AV units for simplicity, longevity, and reliability, all of which help to cut costs.
“Cruise cracked three million miles just 49 days after hitting two million miles, and the next million is going to be even faster. We’re now doing over 10,000 rides per week, but more importantly, we’re growing rides at 49 percent per month on average over the last six months.”
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Comments
Why? What’s the point? What’s the advantage of this over Uber or traditional cab services? I would never get in one of these vehicles unless it’s on a closed circuit in an airport or theme park.
Like anything else, it’s just a way to make money. Making money is not a bad thing mind you, but just don’t use our public taxpayer funded infrastructure as a proving ground.
EV AVs will be far cheaper to operate than a driver-operated taxi.
EV AVs will change the world. Get your head around it.
Next are personally owned AVs, and trucks, and delivery vehicles.
EV AVs will change the world – transportation will cost less, far fewer accidents and fatalities, less carbon emissions/better air quality. Handicapped, elderly, and even kids, will have readily available transportation. Even real estate values will change – second homes in rural areas become more viable, “ex-urbs” are more viable. Etc. Use your imagination, and invest accordingly. See around the corner….
EV AVs will change the world. In 10 years we’ll see huge differences
– AV’s don’t function outside of their restricted areas and cause problems within their restricted areas.
– AV’s don’t function in bad weather even if the bad weather is simply heavy rain or fog.
– EV’s are expensive on their own. Add the AV tech to the vehicle, the cost will be even more ridiculous
– AV’s having fewer accidents and fatalities is a load of marketing crap. Cruise is literally comparing the safety of a fleet of 400 daily-driven (assuming all 400 are daily-driven) AV’s running in restricted areas, in perfect weather to the safety of 110+ million (in the US alone), daily-driven vehicles, driven everywhere there are roads and highways, driven in any and all weather conditions, and claiming their AV’s are safer. With Cruise’s current fleet, it’s takes their AV’s one month to rack up 1 million miles in a month. Human’s in the US drive 2+ billion miles in 1 day. Few or no accidents in 1 million miles doesn’t mean diddly squat, especially when running closed courses and in perfect weather.
In 10 years we will see huge differences. At this point we will have AV statics for accidents and fatalities due to bad weather, system/senor failures, and AV breakdowns, assuming within 10 years the AV’s are allowed outside of their closed courses and allowed to operate in bad weather.
Thanks for your usual PR spiel. Your bosses at Cruise should give you a raise.
Re fewer accidents and faralities: put an equal amount of traditional cars and AVs on the road and then make a fair comparison.
Re readily available transportation: I can get up from my easy chair and be in one of my clean ICE vehicles within 30 seconds. No waiting, no dialing up a ride on an app, no filth in the interior from previous riders escapades.
Re rides for children and elderly: Seriously? In this day and age you would trust you child to stand in the street and wait indefinitely for a ride? Or put your 90 year mom old in one of these and hope some “nice person” on the other end if the ride will sheppard them to and from where they need to go?
Re the carbon emissions: most people could care less especially when we see the idiots in positions of authority who scream the loudest about the planet doing nothing about reducing their “carbon footprint”
The adults in the room will continue to drive their own vehicles. That’s not to say that we don’t welcome the tech that makes us better drivers but the key word is “us”, not a computer.
This is about 400 too many.
I would like to know the cost of a ride in one compared to a conventional taxi or Uber. I would definitely ride in one, thousands of people have done so safely already or they wouldn’t be allowed on the road. They should be cheaper than conventional services since you eliminate the human element and are only paying for the vehicle cost.
Another job eliminator. The big guy keeps touting about creating all these jobs yet everywhere I go less and less people are working, there is more automated self checkouts and now driverless taxis upcoming self driving delivery trucks, more automated factories and plants and far more to come. With the world’s population at an all time high it seems insane to me that we are finding more and more ways to eliminate human jobs and totally rely on computers and sensors.
Andy Yang has already planned for this, Standard Basic Income. Taxing the corporations making all the money from less employees will fund it.
Danno, my Penn State friend, what about the self-worth and sense of purpose that work gives to many people…myself included?
Shall the recipients of SBI sit at home and watch “The View” and the 24/7 news cycle all day long?
Isn’t SBI just another name for welfare?
Morris, there are going to be some people that are not going to be able to participate in the workforce. Maybe they can find some satisfaction in volunteering for people that need help in places like hospitals or nursing homes or other social services that I’m not aware of.
The jobs lost first are going to the most menial and require less skill. I agree that there is dignity in work, maybe volunteering will satisfy that. They will need the SBI and healthcare no matter.
We as a nation have worked our way through many economic transitions and I’m confident we can continue to do so.
We are Penn State!
Danno, I believe you’re purposely overlooking self-worth, meaningfulness, ability to provide for one’s family, and plain old interest and excitement in projects that are rewarding in an attempt to justify automation.
You’re also missing the fact that many high-end skills are required in many jobs. Having those skills and talents means something to me. It let’s me show my pride, work ethic, and abilities. I love that part of work.
When I was an engineer at a local cigar factory, some of the projects were fantastic, even under high pressure and short deadlines. I don’t know where else I would ever feel that same satisfaction if I waited on government checks and spent my time volunteering. A high volume, high skill factory won’t bother with me wishing to volunteer.
Lastly, you and I went to Penn State to learn a specific set of skills and to develop a good, solid work ethic. We sought to use those skills to provide a company with value. Why go to college if SBI and automation will take care of your worries? What’s the value in that?
Highly skilled jobs aren’t going anywhere for many years. If you’re capable of attaining a college degree your intellect is going to protect you from obsolescence.
The people I’m talking about are under educated doing repetitive very low skill jobs. These are the ones that need the safety net. We can provide them with an income capable of keeping them off the streets.
Progress has its winners and losers, but it doesn’t have to be cruel.
For the record I didn’t attend Penn State, both my sons did. I value education and believe everyone capable of attending should have that chance.
I was a blue collar worker in a chemical plant.
Problem is that if the corporations are taxed, eventually the consumer will pay. Thus, those who are receiving a basic SBI as well as those who work will be paying $10 for a cheeseburger or $5 for a cup of coffee at 7-11.
You say – “everywhere I go less and less people are working”. Hmmm. How do you square that comment with the fact there is record unemployment?
In fact, there are more and more people working, and I see “Now Hiring” signs everywhere.
That’s the conservative narrative. It’s however not the reality. I just got back from a trip to several southeastern states and the economy is booming. The highways are packed with cars and trucks, restaurants are full and help wanted signs everywhere. Inflation is easing and people have money to spend.
“Help wanted signs are everywhere”. Well that’s because nobody wants to go back to work and would instead like to sit home and collect more govt handouts. And while they can make claims that unemployment is down the reality is that most of these are people going back to their std jobs pre covid and little actual growth. Numbers can be spun any way they want. Another huge loss of jobs occurred on our thuways last year while many were laid off from the now automated tolls. Many store owners tell me that the help wanted signs are to try and replenish part of the lost employees during 2020.
Simple question: do self-checkout lines at stores improve or lessen employment at those stores?
Self-serve anything reduces employment and often times customer satisfaction. I feel the stores should give me a discount if I am doing work that was once theirs.
The same people who say they will never use this technology AV also said they will never fly in an airplane, no need for a cell phone, no need for Amazon, Google, Facebook, no need for AI, but evertime they open up their devices AI is all in their face guiding them to shop at the merchandise that it knows they have interest in. But they will tell you I don’t need GPS, I can read a map. These are the procrastinators I laugh at.
Difference between the aforementioned technologies and these: most large jets have two pilots and the knowledge to handle the plane when electronic systems falter. As far as I know nobody has ever died from using Facebook or Tic Toc.
Individuals with their nose buried at n their phone while on Facebook or watching Tik Tok videos and inadvertently step up in front of a passing car and later die! Happens all the time. An AV will probably handle it better than a human driver.
So step out of your tiny little world and think bigger. Much bigger.
Not. My. Problem. We all take risks. If you’re too stupid to pay attention crossing the street you assume the risk and the consequences that happen to you.
There seems to be a chunk of the population that feels the people who respect their privilege to drive should have it taken away for the idiots who are reckless and careless. Kind of like putting good people in prison to protect them from criminals on the outside.
My world may be tiny in your mind, but at least I’m not naive enough to believe all the crap told by the liberal media and PR machines.
Am I missing something?
10,000 rides per week. 390 driverless vehicles.
10,000/390 = 25.6 rides per week per vehicle.
25/7 = 3.66 rides per day per vehicle.
What are they doing the rest of the time. Are they lost? Are they union?
BTW I actually like the idea of AV’s. Just these numbers don’t look good.
The rest of the time they are just wandering aimlessly- wasting the valuable energy tree huggers are so worried about- waiting for the next rider.
Some are charging while others are on the road.
Hi Danno,
I don’t think charging is this reason they are so unproductive. Besides doing so few rides -less than 4 per day- they should be able to charge in just a few hours each night.
What AV’s are going to do to new car sales is another story. Why spend $50K on something that drops in value and has other associated expenses. I’m old I like having my own car but young people probably think differently.
Jim, I enjoy owning and driving my own car also. Young people are going to embrace AV’s for exactly the reason you stated. Hopefully they invest the money saved into a retirement account.
Hey Jim, it does look like they are gaining acceptance. The amount of rides are constantly increasing. I know I would use it in the future. I’m old also, and took the leap and bought an EV this year. I’m very happy with it. We can embrace the future or stay stuck in the past. I’ll take the future.
Wow – just an amazing number of readers/commentators with thumbs down on AV/Cruise, and even EVs.
Well, EVs are here and will gain market share very quickly.
AV is here, and will gain market share very quickly.
I’m not going to debate this point and that – just know that opposing EVs and AVs is like opposing the tide or the sunrise. Vs and AVS are the future, and there’s nothing you can do to slow or stop it.
Want sugar or Swwet n’ Low with that Kool Aide?
You’re absolutely right!