DETROIT — Cruise, the General Motors robotaxi unit, plans to enter a “large number of markets” and scale operations up to “thousands of vehicles” in 2023, COO Gil West told Reuters.
Cruise has announced plans to start offering rides in Austin and Phoenix, adding those cities to its current base in San Francisco. West said the company plans to expand to more cities in 2023.
“You’ll likely see us expand the number of markets in a large number next year,” he said. Cruise believes it can accelerate application of its technology to other cities using a “repeatable playbook” developed in San Francisco, Austin and Phoenix. That should start to deliver revenue numbers with more zeros in them, he said.
The planned launch of the Origin, designed as a purpose-built automated vehicle, “is a huge unlock” for Cruise because of its lower cost, West said.
Cruise is currently testing human-operated Origins in San Francisco. Volume production is expected to start in 2023. Up to now, Cruise has operated its limited service in San Francisco with a small fleet of Chevrolet Bolt EVs.
Cruise is also working to expand delivery services – a prototype of an Origin outfitted with lockers for goods is on the company’s website. Walmart is an investor, and is currently testing Cruise delivery at eight stores in Phoenix. Delivery has “the potential to be a big part of the business,” West said.
