Cruise has expanded its fleet of self-driving robotaxis to operate 24/7 throughout San Francisco. CEO Kyle Vogt took to Twitter to confirm the news, expressing his excitement for this significant milestone after nearly a decade of anticipation.
The rollout of the expanded service will be introduced gradually, starting with Cruise’s own staff members, known as “Cruisers,” who will have access to round-the-clock rides across the entire city. Additionally, selected “power users” who provide feedback to Cruise will be able to hail driverless Chevrolet Bolts during the day in the northwest section of San Francisco and throughout the entire city at night. The ultimate goal is to offer this comprehensive 24/7 service to the general public, although a specific timeline has not yet been provided.
Vogt, one of the co-founders of Cruise, emphasized the significance of operating robotaxis in San Francisco, considering it a litmus test for business viability. He believes that if the service can succeed in this city, it can thrive in any large ride-hailing market, particularly those with high vehicle and pedestrian density.
He also mentioned that Cruise’s capabilities and machine learning systems, which have been proven in San Francisco, have been successful in various cities worldwide. As of now, Cruise operates in Austin, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona, and it appears that their expansion plans may include Dallas, as indicated by a recent job advertisement seeking a deputy general manager to launch their first driverless paid service in that city.
Vogt also highlighted that the technology powering Cruise’s current Bolt vehicles is the same as that in their purpose-built autonomous shuttle called the Origin. The Origin is currently undergoing testing in San Francisco and mapping streets in Austin. While Vogt initially announced that the Origin would be produced in General Motors plants by 2023, this has yet to come to fruition. However, it is expected that production of the Origin will increase as General Motors phases out the Bolt later this year. In the meantime, Cruise plans to add more Bolt vehicles to its existing fleet of over 240.
Despite the significant progress being made, Cruise is still operating at a loss. In the first quarter of 2023, they reported a loss of $561 million, compared to $325 million in the same period of 2022. Nevertheless, General Motors remains confident in Cruise’s potential to generate $1 billion in revenue by 2025.
