One of those companies is Cruise, and it is pushing itself to the forefront of driverless transportation.
Here’s what you gotta know about Cruise and its self-driving car service.
What Is Cruise?
Image Credit: Dietmar Rabich/Wikipedia Commons
Cruise is an autonomous ride-hailing service based in San Francisco, California.
The automotive giants are responsible for creating many of the iconic conventional cars you see on the road today.
Together with Cruise, GM and Honda are turning their attention toward the future of transportation beyond human-driven cars.
GM and Honda have already invested several billions of dollars into Cruise’s operation.
The first examples of Cruise’s autonomous vehicles are based on modified Chevy Bolts.
See our breakdown ofhow self-driving cars know where they areandwhat LiDAR isfor more info.
How Does Cruise Work?
Creating a car that can drive itself is a whole other story.
The robotaxi company says it is an invite-only service for now until more cars become available.
Upon downloading the app, riders are asked to create an account or sign in to their existing account.
After adding in payment information, riders are prompted to add their destination.
Riders then wait at their pickup location until the driverless car arrives.
Image Credit:Wikipedia Commons
A rider’s phone is then used to unlock the car and then the ride can begin.
Where Can You Use Cruise?
Unfortunately, the service area to use Cruise is limited to select locations in the United States.
According toCBS News, Cruise currently operates in the northwest third of San Francisco, California.
Initially, service was free and limited to nighttime hours for public users.
As of June of this year, the company started charging customers for self-driving car rides.
Is Cruise Safe to Use?
There are several elements to consider for assessing the safety of using Cruise.
The first is the vehicle itself.
Finally, consider yourself.
For example, an easy tip is to wear your seatbelt at all times.
Cruise boasts that it completes nearly 250,000 simulations before releasing a product update.
External monitoring will continue to evolve to ensure rider safety is being ensured and protected.
What Does the Future of Cruise Look Like?
In 2020,Cruise unveiledits first purpose-built autonomous vehicle called the Origin.
According toThe Detroit Bureau, the Cruise Origin will hit the streets in January 2023.
Cruise Is Making Transportation Better
Transportation equity has been an ongoing problem for cities across the world.
Even the best public transportation systems have their limitations.
