General Motors Ends Cruise Robotaxi Unit and Shifts Resources to Personal-Vehicle Autonomy Features

General Motors ended its dedicated robotaxi division in 2024 after spending $10 billion on the Cruise unit it acquired in 2016. The company has redirected resources toward autonomy features for personally owned vehicles. GM plans to introduce eyes-off highway driving in 2028, beginning with the Cadillac Escalade IQ.

The company said in April that customers have driven one billion hands-free miles using its existing Super Cruise system. Sterling Anderson, GM's chief product officer and former head of Tesla's Autopilot program, said the company develops self-driving technology by first addressing long stretches of highway driving before expanding to arterial roads and urban centers.

He stated that GM's autonomous systems will eventually operate in enough regions to support a viable robotaxi service.

"the two converge. Our operating region looks identical to the operating region of a robotaxi company," Anderson said. '" Anderson added that GM will be prepared if demand shifts toward robotaxis.

"We'll be ready for it," he said. " Cruise paused testing in California after a safety incident before the unit was shut down. GM has since rebuilt its autonomous-driving team, hiring Ronalee Mann, a former Cruise and Tesla executive, in a move Business Insider reported in December.

The Information reported last week that GM rehired about 100 former Cruise employees to develop eyes-off driving capabilities.