mobile-menu-icon
GM Authority

GM’s Cruise To Restart Robotaxi Operations In Phoenix, Arizona

GM autonomous vehicle and robotaxi subsidiary Cruise is preparing to restart its robotaxi operations following an official halt last year, this time in Phoenix, Arizona, according to the latest available information.

Per reporting by Bloomberg two unnamed sources say Phoenix was chosen because the metropolitan government was among the most receptive to the idea of Cruise operations restarting there, while the autonomous vehicle subsidiary already has Cruise AVs on the ground there, making resumption much simpler.

Side view of the Cruise AV robotaxi.

Phoenix is one of 20 major locations where Cruise has been negotiating with local authorities to get its robotaxis back on the streets. The company’s vehicles have been out of action since mid-November 2023, when even supervised rides with a safety driver on board each robotaxi were indefinitely suspended.

The Phoenix plan has not yet been made public, though the relaunch of robotaxi service – once again with a safety driver riding in each deployed AV – is imminent according to the anonymous sources. Meanwhile, Cruise has “not set a timeline for deployment” according to Pat Morrissey, a spokesman, who added that the company is currently “in the process of meeting with officials in select markets to gather information, share updates and rebuild trust.”

Rear three quarters view of the Cruise AV.

Rumor originally placed the Cruise robotaxi initial relaunch in Texas according to another Bloomberg piece. Both Houston and Dallas were thought to be likely spots for the autonomous Chevy Bolt EV units the subsidiary currently operates to start testing again.

GM CEO Mary Barra confirmed in mid-February that the service would restart somewhere in the USA in 2024, describing the robotaxi subsidiary as an “incredibly valuable asset.” She also reiterated her continued belief that it is “going to be a huge opportunity from a personal autonomous vehicle perspective.”

Rear three quarters view of the Cruise Origin units being transported to storage.

Origin Units In Transit To Storage

In the meantime, The General apparently mothballed several units of the purpose-built Cruise Origin autonomous vehicle at the shuttered GM Grand Blanc Tooling Center in Michigan. The vehicles were placed into storage in such a way as to suggest they are expected to be brought out again for use in the future.

Subscribe to GM Authority for more GM Cruise news, GM AV news, GM technology news, GM EV news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.

Subscribe to GM Authority

For around-the-clock GM news coverage

We'll send you one email per day with the latest GM news. It's totally free.

No Comments yet

Leave a comment

Cancel