'Not a Car': GM's Cruise to Show Off…Something

by Steph Willems

January 21st, 2020 11:08 AM

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Cruise LLC, General Motors’ self-driving arm, plans to reveal a revolutionary vehicle in San Francisco on Tuesday, Bloomberg has learned. It will not be a modified Chevrolet Bolt that’s missing its steering wheel.

The expected reveal comes after a multiple rounds of funding and promises of near-future production and a planned ridesharing fleet.

Unlike the Bolt testbed that first saw the light of day back in 2017, Cruise’s new vehicle will be a ground-up effort, designed with no human driver in mind. That means a cabin with no steering wheel or pedals, and loads of space and connectivity for passengers to extend their workday.

The planned ridesharing fleet, which GM sees as a solid future revenue stream, hit the back burner in 2019 after GM opted for extra testing while awaiting the necessary regulatory approvals. A new type of autonomous vehicle is thought to form the basis of this fleet.

Cruise didn’t have much to say about the reveal, with spokesman Ray Werk only telling Bloomberg that the vehicle “is definitely not a car.”

Stay tuned.

[Image: General Motors]

#AutonomousVehicles #AVs #CruiseLLC #GeneralMotors #GM #ProductPlanning #Technology

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11 comments

Karonetwentyc on Jan 21, 2020

Monorail... Monorail... Monorail... Monorail... "...and loads of space and connectivity for passengers to extend their workday." Oh, *joy*. I work in a salaried position. My employer already gets enough of my time on nights, weekends, holidays, etc. as it is, for which I see no additional compensation. They don't need more of it.

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- 28-Cars-Later on Jan 21, 2020
  
  Is there a chance the track could bend?
  
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- TMA1 on Jan 21, 2020
  
  "Oh joy" - that was literally my first response as well. People in America and Asia are working themselves to death. Salaried types, at least. I want less connectivity, not more. What about us brain-dead slobs?
  
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- 28-Cars-Later on Jan 21, 2020
  
  @TMA1 You'll be given, cushy jobs.
  
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- Art Vandelay on Jan 21, 2020
  
  Agreed. I thank God every day I am hourly...especially when I am on a 10 hour + weekend deal like the next couple of weeks.
  
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- Inside Looking Out on Jan 21, 2020
  
  @TMA1 It will not help. They will find you messaging your cell phone. If you do not carry cell-phone - your laptop, iPad, Alexa. And as the last resort - They will activate chip implanted into your brain when you was born.
  
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- Karonetwentyc on Jan 22, 2020
  
  @Art Vandelay Completely agreed. However, there's a point where no amount of money is worth the crap you're expected to have to put up with in order to remain in a job. One of the phrases that fills me with dread when I see it on an open job requirement: "work/life balance". This basically tells me that the position is going to be nothing but being my employer's property, and HR is doing their best to mollify my suspicions in advance about that.
  
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Alfaromeo on Jan 21, 2020

If they do decide to remove steering wheel, they should put two screens in front of each passenger rather than one in the middle.

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- TMA1 on Jan 21, 2020
  
  No need to outside anyway. The whole windshield should be a television. But two screens isn't a bad idea either. No reason to watch the same thing as someone else. I'm sure part of the future that our overlords has planned for us includes mandatory shared trips with complete strangers. It's just more efficient, if you're going in the same direction. But don't worry, backgrounds checks will surely be mandatory (and ineffective).
  
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John on Jan 21, 2020

Who in their right mind, is ever going to "TRUST", to convey them in traffic. In which you have human operated vehicles in the "MIX". It's a receipy for chaos and disaster. All I can say, is that GM, better have some great insurance, because if they are self insured, we are looking ar a 2nd bankruptcy.

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Dal20402 on Jan 21, 2020

As a Bolt owner I get really creepy uncanny valley feelings looking at that picture.

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