by GM Resumes Work on Autonomous Vehicles
General Motors (GM) is planning a new phase of development for fully autonomous vehicles. Sources report that some former employees of the Cruise division may return to work as GM increases staffing for this project. Unlike previous initiatives, this time the focus is on private cars, not robotaxis.
GM was a pioneer in the field of autonomous driving, introducing the Super Cruise system back in 2017. However, the Cruise project, which was developing robotaxis, was closed in December of last year. At that time, the company stated that it was changing its strategy, focusing on the development of driver assistance systems for personal vehicles.
New Momentum from Leadership
According to media reports, the initiative to revive autonomous technologies belongs to Sterling Anderson, who led the Tesla Autopilot team and now holds the position of Chief Product Officer at GM. He believes that autonomous driving is the future and aims to solidify the company’s leadership in this field.
We are accelerating the development of systems capable of operating without constant human supervision
GM plans to hire some of the 1,000 previously laid-off Cruise employees. The goal is to create a car with autonomy Level 3 or 4, which can operate without driver intervention under certain conditions, and eventually achieve full autonomy (Level 5).
Although GM’s past projects in autonomous driving have faced difficulties, the new strategy, focused on the mass market, may prove to be more viable. Especially given Anderson’s experience in developing similar technologies for Tesla and other companies.
