Automated car company planning to launch in Dallas has self-driving permit revoked in California
DALLAS - A driverless vehicle company planning to launch Dallas is halting operations in California after the state yanked its license over safety concerns.
Cruise vehicles are already on the road in Dallas in a testing phase.
They plan to launch for passengers before the end of the year.
The company said employees are in the driver seat for now as the vehicles drives themselves.
Elsewhere, they have launched for public use, but not without issues.
Cruise vehicles are now on Dallas streets, preparing for their official launch.
With plans to operate in Oak Lawn, Uptown, Downtown, Deep Ellum, and Lower Greenville.
Automated car company looking to launch in Dallas faces second federal investigation over safety
NHTSA's Office of Defects investigation opened the investigation into Cruise LLC this week after receiving reports of two pedestrian injuries, as well as two "relevant" videos posted to social media.
But they’ve been bumped off the streets in their hometown of San Francisco.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company’s self-driving permit Tuesday, citing an unreasonable risk to public safety.
"This is really, now, a vindication of San Francisco’s position. It proves that these vehicles were not ready for primetime," San Francisco Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin said.
The state didn’t point to specific examples, But Cruise said it’s because of a situation when a hit-and-run driver knocked a woman into the path of a Cruise car.
Cruise said when their car went to pull over, it ended up pulling the victim.
When first responders arrived, they found the woman pinned under the car.
"This was a unique situation because rescuers did not have a driver or passenger to ask about the nature of the injuries, to how the victim came to be," San Francisco Fire Department Captain Justin Schorr said back on October 3, 2023.
Cruise is already operating in Austin and launching operations in Houston.
In Austin, there have been reports of issues, like cars stopping and blocking intersections.
The city formed a task force to collect data, but a state law, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2017, prevents cities from regulating autonomous vehicles.
And it’s not clear the state of Texas could do what California did.
A Texas DMV spokesperson told FOX 4 Wednesday that state law prevents it from treating Cruise any differently than traditional cars, noting: "The ability for these vehicles to operate on Texas roads is provided directly through statute, not through a permitting process similar to California’s."
Cruise claims its vehicles are safer, free from human error.
Company officials briefed Dallas’ Public Safety Committee earlier this month, and said it has been working on training Dallas first responders on working with the vehicles, but said they still need a facility in Dallas.
"Are you able to run your service without that location that needs a permit?" Cara Mendelsohn asked.
"We require a facility from which to launch," said Yael Diaz, with Cruise.
The city of Dallas said Cruise has not updated it on plans to select a base of operations and seek that permit.
Cruise has said it plans to officially launch before the end of the year.