In San Francisco, California, a fleet of 30 Chevrolet Bolt taxis is planned.
A driverless taxi is now possible – at least, for General Motors’ autonomous vehicle company Cruise. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), has approved Cruise’s permission to operate in San Francisco. This means that Cruise and GM are the only companies authorized to provide commercial driverless ride-hail services in major US cities.
This is the key word: “major city”, as Waymo was one of the first to offer it. Autonomous vehicles As taxi rides for the public in 2020, although in suburban Chandler, Arizona. Waymo has grown since then, offering even more services. China offers autonomous taxi services.
Although the exact date for the driverless taxis to start operating was not disclosed, there will be 30 all electric Chevrolet Bolt taxis roaming San Francisco once they are operational. Cruise stated that the company will gradually roll out fared rides with the goal of providing the best customer experience. Cruise stated that the company will focus on providing a safe and magical service to its riders.
Cruise’s timeline shows that Kyle Vogt (the company’s CEO) first drove a driverless car last year. Cruise users were able to get their first autonomous taxi rides in February. Taxi rides were completely free and covered 70% of the city.
The Cruise rides will be used to consolidate the company’s position as a commercial ride-hailing platform. Cruise sees this not only as big news for them, but also as a milestone in the autonomous vehicle industry’s shared mission to “improve life in our cities”.
Cruise urges every San Franciscans to register on its website in order to use and experience driverless taxis. Cruise encourages customers to provide feedback in order to improve the service.