General Motors (GM) has announced that it will temporarily halt production of its autonomous Cruise Origin van, just days after the unit paused all driverless operations. Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt stated in an all-hands meeting that the company has already produced hundreds of Origin vehicles, which is sufficient for the near-term when they are ready to ramp up production again. A GM spokesperson confirmed that production will be temporarily paused after completing a small number of pre-commercial vehicles. Despite the pause, GM believes that autonomous vehicles will revolutionize transportation and that the Origin is a crucial part of this journey.
Cruise, the driverless car unit of GM, made the decision to halt operations nationwide last month after California regulators suspended its license due to concerns that self-driving vehicles posed a risk to the public. Cruise had petitioned US regulators in February to deploy up to 2,500 self-driving Origin vehicles annually without human controls like steering wheels. While the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was expected to make a decision on the petition in “weeks,” it has recently launched a new probe into Cruise, investigating whether the company is taking sufficient precautions to protect pedestrians. Cruise’s board has also hired law firm Quinn Emanuel to review the company’s management’s responses to regulators and technology consultancy Exponent to assess Cruise’s technology.
The Cruise Origin vehicle, jointly developed by GM, Cruise, and Honda, is built in Detroit. Despite the challenges and investigations faced by Cruise, GM remains optimistic about the future of autonomous vehicles and the role that the Origin will play in transforming transportation.
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