Self-Driving Cars Are Coming To San Francisco
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San Francisco residents may notice something missing the next time they hail a taxi — no driver at the wheel. On June 2, 2022, Cruise, a division of General Motors (GM), was approved to charge for rides in its autonomous cars. Waymo, owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet, has been offering a similar service in Chandler, Arizona, since October 2020. However, Cruise is the first company allowed to operate commercial driverless cars in a major US city.
The first-of-its-kind permit comes with some restrictions. Cruise vehicles will be confined to transporting passengers in less congested areas of the city between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. The self-driving cars should not exceed a speed of 30 mph. They are also not allowed to operate in heavy rain or fog. The rules are meant to mitigate any injuries or accidents.
Cruise plans to launch the service gradually with a fleet of just 30 cars. The first robotaxis will be modified versions of GM's Chevrolet Bolt. However, the company is seeking approval to get its custom-built Cruise Origin on public roads. The autonomous electric vehicle has no steering wheel or pedals and can attain highway speeds. The car's roomy interior is fitted with seats that face each other.
Cruise's ability to obtain the commercial permit to operate is a big step forward. However, the company still has to convince passengers that its technology is safe. A 2021 survey by the American Automobile Association found that 54 percent of Americans are afraid to ride in a self-driving vehicle.
Regardless of whether the program is successful, its initiation is a significant milestone for Cruise. Waymo is still working on ensuring its self-driving vehicles are safe on busy street roads. Uber and Tesla have both announced plans to launch autonomous ride-hailing services.. Neither have succeeded thus far.
Resources: NPR.com, CBSnews.com, Getcruise.com., Techchrunch.com
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79 Comments
iheartart4everabout 2 yearsWhoa. That's cool. But Shayah, I do think you are right that it might be unsafe.
shayahabout 2 yearsBut that sounds unsafe
iceprincess9about 2 yearsTHAT IS SO COOL! Before we know it, self-driving cars will be all over the world!
brpabout 2 yearslol that is actually cooler than the tesla . tbh it kinda does look like a tesla in the front of the car. i might not even need my lisence if this is the new norm . until this is a for sure thing tho make sure you drive safe.
thisenkabout 2 yearsI hope this comes to Australia
adroit_avimimusabout 2 yearsThis is so cool! I hope that when self driving cars are the new norm there will be minimal incidents... humans are unpredictable, but we still have a ways to go
bebekissesabout 2 yearsLOL ur funny😂😅😆
abdulrahman1about 2 yearsINCREDIBLE
mattchienover 2 yearsThis is great!They've pushed the boundaries of technology so far! But all the same, there may be some danger involved as well.
ha0325over 2 yearsHonestly, it would be cool but probably in the future because i mean it might get into an accident so for now that would be a future thing
victoria_ellaover 2 yearsI`m impressed!