Starting next year, Cruise will no longer only offer rides in its autonomous vehicles via its own app, but also on the ride-sharing platform Uber. The multi-year partnership allows Uber customers to select a ride in an autonomous Cruise vehicle in the Uber app. It uses a version of the Chevrolet Bolt adapted for autonomous driving.
“Cruise is committed to using driverless technology to create safer streets and redefine urban life,” said Marc Whitten, CEO of Cruise. “We are excited to partner with Uber to bring the benefits of safe, reliable autonomous driving to even more people and usher in a new era of urban mobility.”
The partnership with Uber is intended to be an important step in Cruise’s comeback. The company once expanded aggressively into many cities, but temporarily suspended operations after one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian several meters in an accident in San Francisco last October. Although the vehicle apparently recognized the collision at the time, it did not recognize that the woman was lying under the car after the crash. Cruise is currently in the process of getting its vehicles back on the road in several US cities, initially only with safety drivers on board who can intervene in dangerous situations.
“As the largest mobility and delivery platform, we believe Uber can play an important role in safely and reliably bringing autonomous technology to consumers and cities around the world,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “We are thrilled to partner with Cruise and look forward to launching next year.”
Uber has been offering robotaxis rides in the city of Phoenix in the US state of Arizona since October 2023, but is cooperating with cruise competitor Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet. Uber had once tried to develop its own solution for robotaxis. However, the project was canceled after a test car killed a woman crossing a highway during a test drive in Arizona. It is the only known fatal accident involving a self-driving car to date.
reuters.com, getcruise.com
