General Motors temporarily halts production of Cruise Origin autonomous van
General Motors (GM) has revealed its intention to temporarily cease production of the fully autonomous Cruise Origin van, following its recent suspension of all driverless operations. Forbes initially reported the news, referencing an audio recording of Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt addressing employees at a company-wide meeting. Vogt informed the team that they have already manufactured hundreds of Origin vehicles, which is "more than enough for the near term when we are ready to ramp things back up."
Pre-commercial vehicles completed, production pause planned
A representative from GM told Reuters that the automaker is "finishing production on a small number of pre-commercial vehicles and after that, plan to temporarily pause production." The spokesperson also emphasized GM's belief that autonomous vehicles will revolutionize global transportation, with the Origin playing a crucial role in this transformation. Last month, Cruise, GM's self-driving car division, suspended operations across the US after California regulators revoked its robotaxi operator's license due to safety concerns.
Investigations surrounding Cruise's technology
In February 2022, Cruise requested permission from US regulators to deploy 2,500 self-driving Origin vehicles per year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced in July that it anticipated making a decision on the petition within "weeks." However, last month, the NHTSA launched a new investigation into whether Cruise is implementing adequate measures. In response, Cruise's board has enlisted law firm Quinn Emanuel to examine management's interactions with regulators, and technology consultancy Exponent to assess Cruise's technology.
