In an aerial view, Chevrolet Cruise autonomous vehicles sit parked in a staging area on June 08, 2023 in San Francisco, California. Autonomous vehicle corporations Cruise and Waymo have been testing their vehicles throughout San Francisco and residents are usually not joyful with the issues that the cars are bringing to town.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images
Cruise will reduce its robotaxi fleet by 50% in San Francisco, the California Department of Motor Vehicles told CNBC.
The move comes after Cruise autonomous vehicles were involved in multiple crashes in San Francisco this week where the self-driving cars appeared to stall in intersections, including one on Thursday night when it collided with a hearth truck.
The reduction is a setback for Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary, which began offering a paid robotaxi service in San Francisco after it and Alphabet’s Waymo received permission to expand driverless operations and carry paying passengers 24 hours a day throughout San Francisco. Cruise is currently operating with a waitlist.
It also highlights the growing debate in San Francisco over driverless cars. Opponents say they’re dangerous and interfere with firefighters and other first responders, while defenders say they’re progressive and will make getting around town cheaper and easier.
“The DMV is investigating recent concerning incidents involving Cruise vehicles in San Francisco,” a DMV spokesperson said in a press release. “The DMV is in contact with Cruise and law enforcement officials to find out the facts and requested Cruise to right away reduce its lively fleet of operating vehicles by 50% until the investigation is complete and Cruise takes appropriate corrective actions to enhance road safety.”
The DMV said Cruise has agreed to the reduction and will haven’t any greater than 50 of its autonomous vehicles operating through the day and not more than 150 operating through the evening. Cruise said in August it was operating 300 cars through the night and 100 through the day.
A spokesperson for Cruise was not immediately available for comment outside of business hours.
In a blog post on Friday night, Cruises’ San Francisco general manager Greg Dietrerich wrote that the accident with a Cruise vehicle and firetruck on Thursday had “several aspects” that contributed to the incident, including buildings on the intersection which are difficult to see around. He also said the firetruck was driving in the incorrect lane to “bypass” a red light.
“We will proceed to work in partnership with regulators and city departments on EMV interactions to reduce the likelihood of incidents like these happening again,” Dietrerich wrote.
Cruise’s fleet was involved in several incidents over the past week that drew media attention. Along with the crash with a firetruck, one Cruise vehicle reportedly got stuck in concrete, and an autonomous vehicle with a passenger got hit by a driver. The opposite driver in that incident was running a red light, in response to Cruise. Last weekend, a slew of Cruise vehicles stalled and slowed traffic outside an outside music festival.
— CNBC’s Lora Kolodny contributed to this story.