Cruise begins mapping streets in Dubai for 2023 robotaxi launch
Cruise is keeping its word and launching an automated driving service in Dubai. Cruise has dispatched two of its autonomous Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles to Dubai to begin mapping the city in preparation for a planned debut in 2023, according to Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Cruise signed a collaboration agreement with the RTA last April to launch a robotaxi service in Dubai as part of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's ambition to convert 25% of all transportation journeys in Dubai to driverless ones by 2030. After a "complex, multi-year selection process," Cruise was chosen as Dubai's sole robotaxi provider until 2029.
Two Chevrolet Bolts will be put to work mapping the city on Sunday, beginning in the Jumeirah area of Dubai and driven by specially trained humans. Cruise's sensor complement includes lidar, radar, and cameras to gather data about the vehicle's environment that may be used to generate a virtual map for the autonomous driver.
Cruise had previously stated that the robotaxi service in Dubai would employ Cruise Origins, the company's purpose-built all-electric shuttle with no steering wheel or pedals. Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general of RTA, said in a statement that he aims to have 4,000 Cruise Origins operating in Dubai by 2030.
However, because Cruise currently does not have any Origins operations running, or has only constructed Origins for the purpose of closed-course testing thus far, a spokesperson for the firm stated that it doesn't. The company did not respond to requests for additional information in time, but it's very likely that Cruise will start out in Dubai with Chevy Bolts.
Given the UAE's diverse regulatory climate, it's also unclear how Cruise will go about establishing a self-driving service in Dubai. In San Francisco, Cruise followed a plan that involved testing its AVs with drivers behind the wheel before offering a free service to employees, then the public. Cruise then started charging for rides with drivers behind the wheel while simultaneously putting its fleet to the test without having a driver. Finally, after being able to charge fees for it for some time, the firm once more opened up its driverless service to staff first, before opening it up to the general public.
Cruise will most likely follow some of the same steps in Dubai, which is a highly regulated environment when it comes to testing and deploying AVs. Cruise will most likely take much of its guidance from California's stringent regulation around testing and deploying AVs, but it may also follow similar procedures in Dubai. The city wants to establish a global example for self-driving vehicle policy and legislation, so it has launched an aggressive campaign to integrate self-driving transport across all modes of public transportation, including taxis, metros, buses, and shuttles.
Source: techcrunch.com
