GM Plans Renewed Driverless Car Program With Former Cruise Staff

General Motors (GM) is reviving its autonomous vehicle program by recruiting former employees of its defunct Cruise unit and shifting focus from robotaxi services to personal-use autonomous cars. Under the leadership of Sterling Anderson, a former Tesla Autopilot chief, GM aims to develop vehicles capable of hands-free, eyes-free driving initially with a human driver, progressing toward fully driverless cars. The company is actively using lidar-equipped, human-driven vehicles on public roads to gather data to support this technology development. This renewed effort follows the shutdown of Cruise's robotaxi operations after safety incidents and regulatory challenges, which led to significant workforce reductions and executive departures. Analysts maintain a positive outlook on GM, with average price targets suggesting potential stock appreciation, reflecting confidence in GM's autonomous vehicle strategy and overall growth prospects. CEO Mary Barra remains committed to advancing GM's autonomous capabilities despite past setbacks in the competitive driverless vehicle market.