Cruise resumes operations: Road to rebirth after turmoil

After experiencing an unprecedented low, Cruise, General Motors' driverless company, finally survived the dark night and saw a glimmer of light.

This once-prosperous driverless company recently decided to restart operations in Phoenix after the "San Francisco accident" in October 2023 and the subsequent heavy blows. But it is worth noting that Cruise said that all driving work will be done by humans during the recovery period.

Since its founding in San Francisco in 2013, Cruise has been eyeing the deployment of driverless robotaxis in the city . However, a major accident in San Francisco last year not only dealt a heavy blow to Cruise's reputation, but also triggered a series of punitive blows.

The California authorities revoked the company's operating license, and the city of San Francisco filed a lawsuit against Cruise, demanding a significant reduction in the number of driverless vehicles in the city. The regulatory agencies bombarded Cruise, leaving the former driverless leader in a state of confusion.

Even though it objected to the concealment of DMV camera information, Cruise was forced to suspend operations across the United States in the face of heavy pressure to rebuild public trust. This was followed by large-scale layoffs and the resignation of many senior executives...

This comeback not only means that Cruise will embark on a new journey, but also conveys Cruise's determination to regain confidence and rebuild its image. The reason why it chose Phoenix instead of its hometown San Francisco also fully demonstrates that Cruise hopes to take the lead in a relatively relaxed environment. However, it is not clear whether or when Cruise's self-driving taxis will return to San Francisco.

Cruise's comeback this time can be said to be cautious, with an eye on making solid preparations for the restart of driverless driving. Currently, Cruise is mainly focused on building maps and collecting road information for manually driven cars to provide high-fidelity data support for future driverless systems. In essence, Cruise is "exploring the road" again - it needs to have a detailed understanding of local road conditions, speed limits, traffic signs, lanes and other elements in order to compile reliable operating instructions for the driverless system.

In addition to this basic work, Cruise is also fully implementing a series of measures to ensure the safe operation of driverless vehicles in the future: establishing new leadership and working more closely with GM, hiring a chief safety officer to comprehensively upgrade relevant systems, reshaping internal management mechanisms, and strengthening communication with local governments and emergency personnel.

It can be said that Cruise is fundamentally strengthening its software and hardware capabilities to make full preparations for its own "rebirth".

Last words

Looking back, driverless cars were once regarded as a revolutionary force that would change travel patterns, reduce accidents, and reduce carbon emissions. However, the reality is much more cruel - regulatory policies cannot keep up, technical bottlenecks are difficult to resolve, and public confidence is insufficient. This long and difficult road ahead is full of thorns.

Cruise's experience vividly illustrates the difficulties and setbacks in the development of driverless cars.

Moreover, for emerging technologies, technological breakthroughs are often the driving force behind their development, while laws and regulations are often the obstacles. This is the case with autonomous driving, where technological development is far ahead of legal regulation.

In 2009, Google unveiled its driverless car project for the first time, which attracted widespread attention from the technology community to autonomous driving and set off a wave of autonomous driving.

In contrast, the government’s response was relatively slow. At the time, U.S. law did not clearly define the testing and operation of autonomous driving, and different states and even cities had different attitudes toward it. The biggest challenge facing regulators was how to strike a balance between ensuring public safety and promoting innovation.

However, it is gratifying that the regulatory system is gradually being improved, which is also an important signal that the government is paving the way for the development of the industry.

Cruise's turmoil and rebirth is a microcosm of the current autonomous driving industry. As an emerging track, this field presents a trend of fierce competition and cruel elimination. Only by constantly innovating and adapting to market demand can it survive in the end.

In the early years, this track was once dominated by unicorns, who relied on their prediction and investment in driverless technology to occupy the commanding heights of the industry. However, as the development progressed, their shortcomings were gradually exposed.

For technology companies that lack experience in automobile manufacturing, the engineering implementation of autonomous driving systems is a major challenge. From algorithms to vehicle computing platforms, from body integration to vehicle control, every link needs to be carefully crafted. This kind of system engineering is obviously an unfamiliar field for Internet companies.

Those car companies with a deep background in automobile manufacturing have the best timing and location in this regard. Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, quickly gained the upper hand by relying on its strong technical reserves and industrial foundation.

After nearly a decade of trials and tribulations, the autonomous driving industry chain is being reshuffled. Under the severe test of the capital winter, the result of this round of turmoil will surely reshape the entire industry landscape.

For Cruise, this is both an opportunity and a major test. Can it regain its vitality from the turmoil? We will have to wait and see.