GM shutters Cruise robotaxis, but other driverless vehicles remain in Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — General Motors announced Tuesday it will no longer be funding its Cruise robotaxi operations after years of navigating operational hiccups and facing legal action over injuries sustained by the driverless vehicle technology.

General Motors officials said they are focusing on developing fully autonomous personal vehicles as opposed to advancing driverless rideshare services. The company update came just over a year after Cruise paused all driverless operations in an effort to "reflect on how we can better operate in a way that will earn public trust."

The robotaxi technology attempted to make a comeback this summer, resuming testing operations in Phoenix, Houston and Dallas and working toward a rideshare partnership with Uber.

In Austin, the city had a tumultuous time with the technology. KXAN reported in the past on "neighborhood swarms," where there would be a high concentration of Cruise autonomous vehicles in a given area. Other issues included veering into the bike lane and vehicles impeding traffic due to faulty responses.

Amid an influx of AV companies operating in Austin, the city launched its AV Safety Task Force, which incorporated staff from the Austin Fire Department, the Austin Police Department and Austin-Travis County EMS. However, AVs are regulated at the state level as opposed to by local jurisdictions.

“State law preempts local authority of self-driving vehicles,” an Austin Transportation and Public Works Department spokesperson previously told KXAN. “[Senate Bill] 2205 made rules uniform for AVs across the state, putting regulation and oversight in the hands of the state government rather than local municipalities.”

While Cruise will no longer be returning to Austin for rideshare services, others are set to expand their footprint in the Texas capital. Waymo will dispatch a fleet of its fully autonomous, electric Jaguar I-PAC vehicles in Austin early next year as part of a ride-hailing partnership with Uber.

Through the partnership, Uber will oversee fleet management services such as vehicle cleanings and repairs, while Waymo will continue its oversight on the testing and operational ends of the technology.