Created by GM’s subsidiary Cruise, the all-electric Origin does not have a steering wheel or breaks and can seat up to four passengers.
Photo via Cruise.
General Motors unveiled its autonomous ride-hailing vehicle, dubbed Origin, in San Francisco yesterday.
Created by GM’s subsidiary Cruise, the all-electric Origin does not have a steering wheel or breaks and can seat up to four passengers. The doors on the vehicle slide open, rather than opening outward. Origin uses a multi-layered sensor suite designed to keep track of multiple people and objects even adverse weather conditions.
The vehicle will be used exclusively on Cruise’s 24/7 ride-hailing app, although the company has yet to announce a start date. Cruise has implied that the service will begin in San Francisco, where it is already available to Cruise employees, Market Watch reports.
“Every mile in San Francisco is packed full of rich information,” Cruise officials wrote in a Medium post. “Which means the Origin is learning about how people drive, how to maneuver in unusual circumstances, and how to react to situations that seem impossible to predict. We’re preparing it to anticipate things that shouldn’t happen, but do.”
Since the vehicle does not need a driver, Cruise says its ride-hailing service will be a cheaper option.
Origin will not be available for consumer purchase.
Originally posted on Fleet Forward