General Motors (GM) has completed its acquisition of autonomous vehicle subsidiary Cruise, retaining approximately 1,000 employees while laying off nearly half of the workforce. The move comes as GM transitions Cruise’s technology into its advanced driver assistance systems, including Super Cruise, the automaker’s hands-free driving feature.
Cruise confirmed the job cuts in a statement, saying, “Cruise shared the difficult decision to part ways with approximately 50% of its workforce. We are grateful for their passion and contributions to help us reach this stage, and our focus is on supporting them into their next chapter with severance packages and career support.”
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The layoffs affect employees across various locations, including California and Arizona, while GM stated that those remaining would continue working on autonomous vehicle technology and driver assistance systems. GM has been shifting its focus away from commercial robotaxi services following regulatory scrutiny and safety concerns.
Cruise had been testing its driverless taxis in San Francisco and other U.S. cities before its operations were suspended in California. The decision followed a 2023 incident in which a pedestrian was struck by a human-driven vehicle and pushed into the path of a Cruise robotaxi, which then dragged the victim 20 feet before stopping.
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GM has since announced plans to integrate Cruise’s technology into its personal vehicle lineup rather than pursuing large-scale autonomous taxi operations.