Uber is preparing to offer driverless rides as part of a partnership with General Motors and Cruise after the companies signed a multi-year deal this week.
GM-owned Cruise will now partner with Uber to bring driverless ride-sharing services to the streets using the app platform as early as next year. The companies will use autonomous cars based on the Chevy Bolt.
Once launched, Uber riders will be offered an option in the app to select the Cruise car as their ride of choice.
“Cruise is committed to using driverless technology to create safer streets and redefine urban life,” Cruise CEO Marc Whitten said in a press release. “We are excited to partner with Uber to bring the benefits of safe, reliable, autonomous driving to even more people and usher in a new era of urban mobility.”
Cruise did not reveal his plans to bring the cars to the road or provide any further details.
The news is the latest development in the autonomous vehicle industry. Cruise, a GM-owned company specializing in robotaxis, has been trying to get its business back on track after it was forced to suspend operations when a pedestrian was dragged 20 feet by one of its vehicles.
She was first hit by a human driver in his car.
Uber had previously attempted to introduce self-driving cars on its platform, but had to abandon its plans after a woman was killed by one of the cars in 2018. She was riding her bike in Tempe, Arizona, when she was hit by the car.
Waymo, a competitor to Crusie, currently offers 100,000 paid rides in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles, according to CNBC. The company is also considering expanding to Austin, Texas.
Cruise is now testing its vehicles in Phoenix, Dallas and Houston.
