GM’s Cruise Shows Off Its Extensive Closed-Course Testing: Video

Cruise, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of GM, posted a pair of videos on Instagram showcasing the thorough closed-course testing it uses to hone the capabilities of its robotaxi models, with the Cruise AV – based on the Chevy Bolt EV – highlighted in both.

In the first video, Cruise describes what closed-course testing involves and how it feeds back into improving the subsidiary’s AVs, which you can watch below:

The video states that “our autonomous vehicles don’t just drive, they learn,” noting how the results of the testing are integrated into the software to improve AV performance. The clip shows Cruise AVs driving through deep water, approaching a line of road flares, covered in frost in a low temperature test, and, finally, picking up a passenger on a city street at the end.

The post notes that “each test helps improve our software, with the aim of making our AVs smarter and safer.” The next video, which you can watch below, shows some of the same imagery, but focuses on the testing locations. While some are in Arizona and California, the AV is also put through its paces on the 132 miles of roads at the Milford Proving Ground in Michigan:

The post states that “each test moves us closer to our goal of contributing to safer roads and communities.” The subsidiary has experienced tough going, shelling out tens of millions of dollars in fines and settlements after the 2023 pedestrian-dragging incident. It has also come under investigation and greatly increased scrutiny, with even AV-friendly California imposing more stringent reporting requirements on the self-driving vehicles.

Interestingly, the election of Donald Trump as 47^th President of the United States could give the AV operator something of a break. Reports indicate that the new Trump administration may cut back on the federal regulation of autonomous vehicles. The move would be welcomed by Trump’s powerful backer Elon Musk, who has robotaxi ambitions centered on the Tesla Cybercab and other vehicles.

Individual state legislatures also have a strong, and potentially decisive, say in whether and how AVs can operate on their roads, but loosening of federal constraints could give Cruise and its competitors more latitude in seizing whatever opportunities open up in the coming four years.