GM’s Cruise to start testing robotaxis in Phoenix area with human safety drivers on board

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors’ troubled Cruise autonomous vehicle unit says it will start testing robotaxis in Arizona this week with human safety drivers on board. Cruise said Monday that it will validate the vehicles’ performance against safety requirements. Testing will start in Phoenix and gradually expand to suburban areas. The vehicles will operate in autonomous mode, but the human drivers will be ready to take over if needed as the company moves toward resuming driverless operations. Cruise suspended operations in October when one of its Chevrolet Bolt autonomous electric vehicles dragged a San Francisco pedestrian roughly 20 feet to the curb at about 7 miles per hour. Before being dragged by the Cruise vehicle, the pedestrian had been hit by a human-driven vehicle.