Cruise's trouble-ridden robotaxis are joining Uber's ride-hailing service next year as part of a multiyear partnership bringing together two companies that once appeared poised to compete for passengers.
The alliance is the latest change in direction for Cruise since its California license to provide driverless rides was suspended in October 2023 after one of its robotaxis dragged a jaywalking pedestrian who had been struck by a human-driven vehicle across a darkened San Francisco street.
The incident spurred regulatory inquiries into Cruise and prompted its corporate parent, automaker General Motors, to tamp down its once audacious ambitions in autonomous driving.
GM had envisioned Cruise generating $1 billion in annual revenue by 2025 as its robotaxis steadily expanded beyond San Francisco and into other cities to offer a driverless alternative to the ride-hailing services operated by Uber and Lyft.
But now GM and Cruise are looking to make money by mixing the robotaxis with Uber's human-driven cars, giving passengers the option to ask for an autonomous ride if they want. The financial details of the partnership weren't disclosed, nor were the cities in which Uber intends to offer Cruise's robotaxis next year.
