GM’s Cruise Aims for Full Autonomy and Fare Charging by Early 2025 Amidst Regulatory Hurdles

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General Motors’ (GM.N) autonomous driving subsidiary, Cruise, is setting its sights on resuming fully autonomous ride operations later this year, with plans to start charging fares by early 2025, according to a Bloomberg News report on Thursday. This ambitious goal comes as Cruise seeks to overcome significant challenges following a serious incident last year involving one of its robotaxis.

Based in San Francisco, Cruise has been diligently working to recover from a troubling accident in which a robotaxi struck a pedestrian, dragging her approximately 20 feet (6 meters). This incident has prompted regulatory scrutiny and a suspension of Cruise’s autonomous passenger services in California. The company has since resumed operations in the U.S. with a limited fleet of human-driven vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona, but its autonomous vehicle service remains paused in its home state.

The journey to achieving full autonomy in vehicle technology is fraught with challenges. Experts and analysts agree that developing autonomous driving systems and robotaxis will be a complex and costly endeavor, hampered by engineering obstacles and regulatory hurdles.

Cruise remains focused on rebuilding trust with regulators and enhancing the performance of its autonomous vehicles. The company is currently conducting supervised autonomous testing in Phoenix, Dallas, and Houston, with a strong emphasis on safety. However, a spokesperson for Cruise indicated that there is no set timeline for when the company will be ready to fully expand into driverless operations.

In a strategic shift, Cruise recently announced that it would prioritize the development of a next-generation Chevrolet Bolt model, moving away from the previously planned Origin vehicle, which was designed without traditional controls like steering wheels or pedals.

The company is also under investigation by several federal entities, including the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Securities and Exchange Commission, following the incident last year. These investigations are adding to the scrutiny and pressure faced by Cruise as it navigates its path towards autonomous driving.