G.M.’s Cruise Unveils a Self-Driving Car. Don’t Look for It on Roads.

The rectangular-shape vehicle with double sliding doors on each side has no steering wheel or brakes. Inside, it is spacious, with room for six people sitting and facing each other.

Cruise’s plan is not to sell the vehicles but to operate a system of autonomous taxis — essentially, robo-taxis — that can be hailed via an app. It is in a race with Uber, which has an autonomous vehicle division, and Waymo, which is backed by Google’s parent company, Alphabet.

Cruise’s executives said that their vehicle is designed to last for one million miles, far longer than typical cars. “Traditional cars haven’t been designed with that mentality,” Mr. Vogt said in an interview.

Their presentation hinted at a future in which Cruise Origin cars could also transport cargo autonomously.

Mr. Vogt said that unveiling the car could help speed up conversations with regulators.

“Seeing the vehicles in the flesh makes it easier to have these conversations because it’s a little bit less abstract,” he said.

Permits are one hurdle. Another is technology.

Cruise must get its vehicles to the point where their sensors and software can navigate city roads, with all their complicated, unpredictable scenarios, as well as a human driver can.

When asked if it would take as many as five years to make the Cruise Origin a reality, Mr. Vogt said, “I hope not.”

“This is going into production,” he added. “This car is going to happen.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/22/technology/cruise-gm-self-driving-car.html?emc=rss&partner=rss