Cruise Slashes San Francisco Robotaxi Fleet by Half After Crashes
California regulators force GM's Cruise to cut its driverless fleet in half following a collision with a fire truck and other intersection stalling incidents.
Cruise reduces its robotaxi fleet by 50% in San Francisco following a direct order from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. This mandatory cutback occurs after multiple crashes this week where Cruise autonomous vehicles unexpectedly stall in intersections, including a notable collision with a fire truck on Thursday night.
The DMV actively investigates these concerning incidents and requires the GM subsidiary to operate with strict limits until the company implements proper corrective actions. Under these new restrictions, Cruise runs no more than 50 vehicles during the day and 150 during the evening, which is a significant drop from its previous daytime and nighttime numbers.
This sudden reduction represents a major setback for Cruise just after it receives permission to offer 24-hour paid rides across the city. It also fuels the ongoing debate in San Francisco, where critics argue the driverless cars pose dangers and obstruct first responders, while supporters maintain the technology makes urban travel cheaper and easier.