Kyle Vogt, CEO of Cruise, tweeted on Wednesday that the company is now extending its driverless ride-hailing service to daytime hours in San Francisco, as reported first by TechCrunch.
Employees can now use the robotaxi service whenever they choose, day or night. These longer hours of operation will eventually be made available to the public.
(Photo : GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)
This picture taken on November 30, 2021 shows a view of passengers monitor showing road navigation and obstacle avoidance, from the interior of one of the self-driving taxis being used in a tech demonstration in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi, to transport passengers to the nearby Yas Island. - The 'safety officer' is part of a public trial for driverless cabs in the capital Abu Dhabi, where customers can be picked up and dropped off at nine pre-determined spots on Yas Island.
Autonomous Robotaxi Service
Earlier this year, Cruise made its autonomous robotaxi service available to the general public. This means that the service lacks a human safety operator.
The first trips were free, available only in a restricted area of the city, and only between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Over time, that service has increased. In June 2022, Cruise started charging for rides.
The public can now call for autonomous transportation between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 p.m, with 70 Cruise AVs operating in the service.
In its operations in San Francisco, Austin, and Phoenix, Cruise has about 300 AVs.
The rates include a $5 base cost, $0.90 per mile, and $0.40 per minute. The pricing also includes a city tax of 1.5 percent. The anticipated time and distance of the quickest, most direct route are used to determine an estimated fee, as per TechCrunch.
Customers are informed of the estimated fee by Cruise, and if the trip ends up taking longer than expected, they will be charged that sum. It is worth noting that surge pricing does not apply to Cruise.
The majority of San Francisco was added to Cruise's service region earlier this month. That extended area is currently only accessible to employees.
Read Also: GM's Cruise Will Develop its Own Chips to Power Fully Autonomous Vehicles
Cruise Extends to Austin and Phoenix
Additionally, Cruise is extending its operations to Austin and Phoenix. The business encouraged potential customers in Phoenix and Austin to sign up for the waitlist in order to be among the first users of the robotaxi in October.
Cruise CEO Vogt stated at GM's third-quarter earnings call that the business is still on schedule to execute its first commercial driverless public rides and deliveries by the end of 2022.
Given that Austin and Phoenix are in states with fewer regulatory restrictions than California, Cruise will probably follow the same strategy there as it did in San Francisco, albeit more quickly, according to TechCrunch.
Cruise generally starts with its own staff in San Francisco before inviting everyone else. The service area and hours also begin small and gradually expand, always being first made available to employees.
Related Article: Cruise Begins Mapping Dubai Streets for 2023 Robotaxi Launch, Will Be Deployed in Jumeirah First
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Written by Jace Dela Cruz
