General Motors (GM) is reportedly reviving its efforts to develop autonomous vehicles (AVs) with a focus on personal-use cars, as reported by Bloomberg, citing familiar sources.
The initiative was unveiled by Sterling Anderson, a recent addition to GM’s team and former Tesla autopilot chief, in an employee meeting held on 6 August.
Go deeper with GlobalData
According to sources familiar with the matter, GM initially aims to develop “hands-free, eyes-free” driving technology with a human in the vehicle, with the ultimate objective of creating a fully driverless car.
Anderson noted that the company is actively seeking to rehire some former Cruise employees and plans to expand its talent pool for the project, with recruitment efforts targeting its Mountain View, California, US office, among other locations.
GM has confirmed to the news agency that it is currently operating human-driven vehicles on public roads to collect data for the development of self-driving technology.
This move indicates CEO Mary Barra’s commitment to the competitive driverless vehicle market, despite the company’s exit from the robotaxi business.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe decision to shut down Cruise came after an incident that caused serious injury to a pedestrian, leading to regulatory scrutiny and the departure of several executives, including former CEO Kyle Vogt.
GM had previously planned to introduce a personally owned autonomous vehicle by the middle of the decade, but the timeline has since been removed from public view. The development of this vehicle is ongoing, alongside improvements to GM’s Super Cruise hands-free driving system.
Despite recent layoffs at Cruise and within GM’s software division, Barra has reaffirmed the company’s dedication to driverless vehicle technology.
She highlighted autonomous technology as one of GM’s “clear priorities” during the company’s second-quarter earnings call.
Anderson has been entrusted with the oversight of product development at GM. This encompasses a broad range of responsibilities, from traditional gasoline-powered vehicles to electric models, as well as driver assist and autonomous technologies.
