GM autonomous vehicle division, Cruise, is rolling out a compact fleet of vehicles onto the vibrant streets of Seattle, Washington 🌉. The ultimate goal? To amass valuable data and put the prowess of its autonomous vehicle technology to the ultimate test amidst Seattle’s intricate urban tapestry. This dynamic terrain is renowned for its challenging hilly roads and unpredictable weather patterns, making it the perfect litmus test for Cruise’s innovation. However, for the initial phase, the vehicles will be human-piloted, albeit temporarily ⏳.
According to an exclusive report from GeekWire, Cruise’s operations will span the heart of Seattle, covering downtown hotspots like Capitol Hill, Queen Anne, Fremont, the University District, and West Seattle 🏙️. Mohamed “Mo” Elshenawy, Cruise’s Executive VP of Engineering, enthusiastically notes that Seattle offers “an excellent urban setting” for the continued expansion of Cruise’s testing and operational horizons. Beyond data collection, this initiative also aims to evaluate sensor systems, local infrastructure, computational and network capabilities, and the crucial hardware/software interplay 👨💻🔌.
Notably, Cruise isn’t the sole trailblazer in Seattle’s autonomous domain. Zoox, an Amazon-affiliated venture, and Nvidia are also navigating driverless vehicles through the city’s bustling streets. These efforts are sanctioned under the watchful eye of an Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit issued by the Seattle Department of Transportation 🚦.
Seattle’s addition marks a significant chapter in Cruise’s city-spanning saga. With ongoing operations in Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Miami, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Phoenix, Arizona, Cruise is truly spanning the nation 🌎.
Moreover, the Texas trio of Austin, Dallas, and Houston is witnessing the buzz of Cruise’s trials, while San Francisco residents enjoy autonomous rides. Cruise, headquartered in the iconic city by the bay, is proud to announce crossing the remarkable milestone of 4 million miles in autonomous driving 🏁. It’s noteworthy that the 3-million-mile landmark was achieved just this past July. As operations surge forward, Cruise now boasts covering over 1 million autonomous miles monthly, steering an impressive fleet of around 400 autonomous vehicles.
While Cruise’s ambitious journey continues, it’s worth highlighting its pending approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the groundbreaking Cruise Origin AV—a futuristic robotaxi meticulously engineered from the ground up to epitomize full autonomy 🤖🚖.
Along the way, Cruise hasn’t been immune to critique, with incidents including vehicles encountering wet concrete predicaments causing traffic hiccups, and even interactions with fire trucks. Yet, the spirit of innovation prevails, propelling Cruise toward a pioneering future. 🚀
- VinFast became the world’s third-most valuable automaker
- Samsung is reportedly becoming Tesla’s primary provider | Samsung Tesla
- Extensive Study Reveals Fast Charging Has No Impact on EV Battery Degradation
- Navigating Record Profits: A Glimpse into the Car Industry’s Success and the Unique Case of Tesla and Ford | Tesla and Ford Profit
- Tesla’s Supercharger Anniversary: 🔌🎉 Free Charging for Tesla and Third-Party Electric Vehicles