Cruise’s Autonomous Cars Brake To A Sudden Halt – California DMV Suspends Permit!

Cruise, one of the leading names in the electric vehicles (EV) industry, was racing toward success at full speed. Just then, it hit a rocky road! #WaitWhat

Welcome to another update on the EVs and this time, Cruise is facing turbulent times with its suspended permits. Remember how, at the beginning of October, because of a series of incidents, Cruise faced a bumpy road?

Now, in a sudden and groundbreaking decision, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has suspended Cruise's deployment and testing permits for its autonomous vehicles, effective immediately.

Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt took to LinkedIn to emphasize the company's commitment to safety and continuous improvement. He stated, "Safety is our top priority, and our passion is continuous improvement. As a result, our AVs continue to get better."

TechDogs-"A Screengrab Of Kyle Vogt, Cruise's CEO's Blog."

Source

Let's understand the why behind this sudden suspension of permit was thrown Cruise's way!

Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, had recently obtained approval in August for round-the-clock robotaxi service in San Francisco. Still, a series of safety concerns and incidents have now prompted this dramatic action.

"When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits," stated the California DMV in a press release.
The decision was not made lightly, as the DMV cited four regulations that allow for suspension when "the Department determines the manufacturer's vehicles are not safe for the public's operation" and "the manufacturer has misrepresented any information related to safety of the autonomous technology of its vehicles."

Last week, federal auto safety regulators initiated an investigation into Cruise following a series of pedestrian injuries linked to their autonomous vehicles. The investigation, spearheaded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, stemmed from multiple reports involving pedestrian injuries and Cruise vehicles in recent months, impacting an estimated 594 self-driving Cruise vehicles.

Philip Koopman, an automotive safety researcher and associate professor of computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, emphasized the importance of a "safety stand down" in any "life-critical system" after a "severe mishap." However, Cruise has faced criticism for not voluntarily implementing such safety standdowns in the past, forcing the DMV to intervene – first after a fire truck crash, which led to a reduction in the operational fleet, and now after the recent pedestrian crash.

Let's see how DMV's decision could impact Cruise:

Cruise's 24/7 robotaxi service, which received approval more than two months ago from California's Public Utilities Commission, made San Francisco the first major U.S. city to permit two robotaxi companies to compete for service "at all hours of day or night." This approval allowed both Cruise and Waymo, a subsidiary of Google's parent company, Alphabet, to expand their fleets as needed and offer fares at any time of day.

However, this expansion wasn't without its problems. A day after the approval, up to ten of Cruise's driverless vehicles caused a significant traffic jam in San Francisco. Just over a week later, the DMV requested that Cruise "immediately reduce its active fleet of operating vehicles by 50%" until an investigation was completed.

In response to the suspension, the DMV has provided Cruise with a guide on how to apply for reinstating their permits – but approval will only be granted if Cruise fulfills the department's requirements to its satisfaction.

Nevertheless, it is essential to note that the DMV's decision does not affect Cruise's permit for testing with a safety driver. Now, the public and industry alike will be watching closely to see how Cruise responds to this setback and whether it can regain its status as a leading player in the autonomous mobility industry.

Do you think the suspension of Cruise's autonomous vehicle permits raises significant questions about the future of self-driving technology and its regulation?

Feel free to add your thoughts in the comment section below.

First published on Wed, Oct 25, 2023

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California Department Of Motor Vehicles Department Of Motor Vehicles Cruise Electric Vehicles Autonomous Vehicles Emerging Technology

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