Cruise has announced the resumption of robotaxi operations in Phoenix, following a temporary pause of nearly five months, according to a recent blog post. What’s the catch? The cars will operate in “manual mode,” signifying their lack of autonomous driving capabilities.
Cruise announced on Tuesday that it will be resuming manual driving of its autonomous vehicles in select cities, beginning with Phoenix. This will allow the company to create detailed maps and collect valuable road information. The General Motors subsidiary had previously established a presence in Phoenix. However, following an incident in San Francisco where a Cruise robotaxi trapped and dragged a pedestrian, it decided to withdraw its entire U.S.-based fleet.
Before that incident, Cruise had been rapidly announcing launches in new cities, such as Dallas, Houston, and Miami. The company faced criticism for its rapid expansion and alleged compromises on safety measures. 
Now Cruise seems to be returning to a more fundamental approach, a significant shift away from the ambitious expansion strategy the company has been pursuing in recent years. In 2022, Kyle Vogt, the former CEO and co-founder of Cruise, informed investors that Cruise had successfully implemented a proven technical approach in ride-share markets similar to San Francisco, thus minimizing potential risks.
In a recent blog post, Cruise discusses the importance of obtaining accurate location data for road features and map information. This enables their autonomous vehicles to have a clear understanding of their surroundings and navigate effectively. The post then outlines the process by which Cruise will gradually transition back to fully autonomous operations. This will involve close supervision by humans and ongoing validation of the technology.
Are all of these steps necessary for building and expanding a self-driving car business? It makes us question whether Cruise is stating the obvious for the public’s benefit or if its new safety team is completely revamping its old technology.
A representative from Cruise declined to provide any comments regarding the company’s strategy.
There have been previous instances where Cruise’s technology has caused issues, and the October incident was just another example. Despite Cruise’s expansion to new cities in the second half of 2023, its robotaxis frequently experienced malfunctions in cities such as San Francisco and Austin. These malfunctions caused disruptions to traffic, public transit, and first responders.
Setting aside the technological issues, Cruise faced significant backlash last year due to its handling of the incident. Regulators accused the company of not disclosing all the details surrounding the crash. Regulators only revealed the involvement of a Cruise robotaxi in an incident where a human-driven vehicle struck a pedestrian. Law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan conducted a report in January, which revealed that Cruise employees failed to provide timely information about the incident involving the Cruise vehicle and the pedestrian. Only days later did they disclose the details, including the fact that the robotaxi’s pullover maneuver dragged the pedestrian for 20 feet.
The information was mishandled, resulting in parent company GM cutting expenses and assuming more control over Cruise.
A significant aspect of Cruise’s future strategy, as discussed in Tuesday’s blog post, focuses on revamping and implementing improved incident response and crisis management protocols. This will ensure more effective and transparent responses in the future. The company emphasizes its commitment to enhancing collaboration with first responders to ensure effective training in every precinct it intends to operate in.
Cruise has not provided any updates regarding the resumption of its driverless operations. Historically, the company centered its primary operations in San Francisco. However, Cruise faced the unfortunate loss of its permits to operate in the area after the accident. In August 2023, Cruise began to expand its paid service coverage in the Phoenix area. Waymo, Alphabet’s main competitor in the autonomous vehicle industry, has been successfully running a driverless robotaxi service in San Francisco since 2020. They have expanded their service area in downtown Phoenix and even introduced driverless rides to the airport.
