During a presentation at SXSW, CEO Kyle Vogt announced that Cruise, the self-driving unit under GM, will be testing its self-developed Robotaxi “Origin” on Austin’s public roads for the next few weeks.
Although the Origin Vehicles Not going to be open to the public for now, Cruise plans to test-drive the Origins on Austin’s public streets before they open to customers in a few months. The vehicles, which do not have a steering wheel or pedals, are already being used in the GM Factory Zero in Detroit and Hamtramck Made in Michigan, USA.
In September last year, Cruise announced plans to offer commercial robotaxi services in Austin, Texas and Phoenix before the end of 2022. These are two hotspots for the development of autonomous vehicles. These services began at the end of the year for the workforce and their friends and family. For this purpose, however, Chevy Bolt vehicles were used.
The exact size of the fleet that will operate in Austin has not been announced, but there are about 300 vehicles worldwide, most of them in San Francisco and dozens in Austin. The commercial service is scheduled to launch and open to the public later this year.
The Cruise Origin is the result of several years of cooperation between the parent company GM and the investor Honda and was presented for the first time in January 2020. The shuttle-like vehicle is designed for a passenger transport service and offers more space due to the omission of the driver’s seats. It is designed for high-speed travel and the seats face each other. The vehicle is identified by Cruise’s corporate colors of orange and black.