The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Cruise expands service area as NHTSA opens investigation

By Brianna Wessling | December 16, 2022

Exciting news! @Cruise has received approval from the DMV to expand our commercial deployment area to the full 7×7 of San Francisco, 24/7. pic.twitter.com/S46qiwUYcW

— Kyle Vogt (@kvogt) December 16, 2022

Cruise, GM’s self-driving unit, announced that it is expanding its service area just days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it was opening an investigation into the company’s automated driving system.

Although Cruise announced its expansion after NHTSA opened its investigation, Cruise received approval from state regulators before the investigation began. 

“Cruise’s safety record is publicly reported and includes having driven nearly 700,000 fully autonomous miles in an extremely complex urban environment with zero life-threatening injuries or fatalities. This is against the backdrop of over 40,000 deaths each year on American roads. There’s always a balance between healthy regulatory scrutiny and the innovation we desperately need to save lives, which is why we’ll continue to fully cooperate with NHTSA or any regulator in achieving that shared goal,” a Cruise spokesperson said to The Robot Report.  
 

Kyle Vogt, the CEO and co-founder of Cruise, announced on social media that the company received approval from the California DMV to expand its commercial deployment area. The company can now offer robotaxis within San Francisco’s seven-mile by seven-mile area, with a few streets excluded. The robotaxis can operate 24/7. 

According to Vogt, Cruise is still waiting for approval from the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to expand its commercial passenger service to the entire city. 

However, just days ago, NHTSA announced that it is opening an investigation into the autonomous driving system powering Cruise’s robotaxis. In a filing, NHSTA said it was interested in two different issues that had been reported to the administration that both result in the robotaxis becoming hazards for others on the road. 

The first is an issue with Cruise robotaxis reportedly braking too hard. NHTSA said that had received three reports of a Cruise vehicle braking too hard in response to a car approaching them quickly from the rear. Each of these incidents resulted in the Cruise vehicles being struck from behind. 

While there was a human supervisor behind the wheel in each of these incidents, NHTSA says that the hard braking was initiated by the vehicle’s autonomous driving system. The company recently released a software update that aimed to improve discomfort braking by 15% and improve the way Cruise vehicles behave around rear approaching vehicles. 

The second issue being investigated by NHTSA involves Cruise robotaxis becoming immobilized on the road. The administration said it had received several reports of Cruise vehicles stalling on the road, with no human operator present. These stalled robotaxis become hazardous for other drivers.

In June, nearly 60 Cruise vehicles stalled for 90 minutes after they lost touch with a Cruise server, according to reporting from Wired. A month earlier, Cruise had lost contact with its entire fleet for 20 minutes. 

These seemingly random stallings are a concern for NHTSA, as the vehicles often stop in the middle of the road, or even in crosswalks, hindering traffic and emergency response vehicles. 

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is opening a preliminary investigation to determine the scope and severity of both issues. The assessment will look at the commonality and safety logic behind reports of Cruise vehicles braking too hard and the frequency and duration of the incidents where Cruise vehicles became immobilized on the road. NHTSA didn’t give any details on when it expected to close its investigation. 

Along with expanding its service area, Cruise recently told Axios that it’s partnering with the University of San Francisco to offer free robotaxi rides to the school’s undergrad and graduate students through May 2023. 

About The Author

Brianna Wessling

Brianna Wessling is an Associate Editor, Robotics, WTWH Media. She joined WTWH Media in November 2021, after graduating from the University of Kansas with degrees in Journalism and English. She covers a wide range of robotics topics, but specializes in women in robotics, autonomous vehicles, and space robotics.

She can be reached at bwessling@wtwhmedia.com

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

The Loomia Smart Skin Developer Kit can help roboticists test flexible tactile sensing, as shown here with robotic hands.
Loomia Smart Skin Developer Kit to help give humanoid robots a sense of touch
An automated excavator dumping dirt into a truck.
Bedrock Robotics brings in $80M for construction retrofit kits
Cohesive Robotics offers software for an adaptable welding workcell, shown here.
Cohesive Robotics releases Smart Welding Robotic Workcell
An automotive assembly line with several orange industrial robots building cars.
Japanese automotive industry hits five year high in automation

RBR50 Innovation Awards

“rr
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Robotics Professionals.
The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Episode of The Robot Report Podcast

Automated Warehouse Research Reports

Sponsored Content

  • How to Set Up a Planetary Gear Motion with SOLIDWORKS
  • Sager Electronics and its partners, logos shown here, will exhibit at the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo. Sager Electronics to exhibit at the Robotics Summit & Expo
  • The Shift in Robotics: How Visual Perception is Separating Winners from the Pack
  • An AutoStore automated storage and retrieval grid. Webinar to provide automated storage and retrieval adoption advice
  • Smaller, tougher devices for evolving demands
The Robot Report
  • Automated Warehouse
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe