General Motors' Robo-taxi Unit Cruise Seeks External Review As California Revokes Driverless Permit: Report

Zinger Key Points
  • Cruise's board hires experts for a safety and compliance review after an accident.
  • GM CEO confirms funding for Cruise's expansion despite recent losses.

General Motors Co's GM robo-taxi unit Cruise has reportedly enlisted the expertise of an independent law firm and tech consultants in response to a collision, which resulted in a temporary halt to its self-driving car operations.

The board of Cruise has engaged Quinn Emanuel, a law firm, to examine how Cruise management has been dealing with regulatory investigations of the Oct. 2 incident, and has brought in Exponent, a technology consultancy, to assess Cruise's technology systems, according to Reuters.

GM told Reuters in a statement on Friday, "We fully support the actions that Cruise leadership is taking to ensure that it is putting safety first and building trust and credibility with government partners, regulators, and the broader community. Our commitment to Cruise with the goal of commercialization remains steadfast."

A series of incidents involving autonomous vehicles from Cruise are currently under the scrutiny of federal and state safety officials. 

Last month, California authorities revoked the company's permit for operating these driverless cars, citing concerns that the vehicles posed a danger to public safety, the report said.

Cruise announced a temporary halt to all driverless activities last week to allow time for a thorough review of its procedures, systems and tools.

GM CEO Mary Barra, who also holds a position on Cruise's board, projected that Cruise could bring in revenues of $50 billion by 2030, despite the company reporting a loss of over $700 million in the third quarter due to increased expenditures for expansion into 15 U.S. cities.

Barra reassured investors last week that more details about GM's strategy for Cruise would be revealed later in the year, affirming that there are financing plans in place to support Cruise's growth.

Price Action: GM shares closed higher by 3.37% to $29.77 on Friday; shares rose 0.2% after hours to $29.83.

Read Next: Berkshire Hathaway's Operating Earnings Soar Over 40% In Q3 — Did Buffet's Empire Defy Economic Headwinds This Season?

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