Dubai’s authorities (UAE) have signed an agreement with the American automaker General Motors to immediately supply 4,000 Cruise Origin uncrewed electric shuttles used in the city’s taxi service. The first robotic taxis will hit the streets of Dubai in 2023, and it is planned to bring the fleet of drones to the mark of four thousand units by 2030.
The United Arab Emirates has long been actively involved in the electrification and robotization of its vehicle fleet (back in 2017, they bought a batch of Tesla Model S and Model X for the future unmanned taxi service, and a couple of years later, Tesla Cybertruck for the police), so this agreement did not come as a surprise … In this regard, the main goal of the UAE is not only to reduce harmful emissions but also to reduce the cost of public transport by eliminating drivers.
For the General Motors startup Cruise, this is also a beneficial deal since, at this stage, its Origin model is only being tested on the streets of San Francisco. Thanks to an agreement with the Dubai authorities, developers will test their creation in real conditions.
As a reminder, the Cruise Origin uncrewed electric shuttle was unveiled in early 2020. It is distinguished by the complete absence of a driver’s seat, steering wheel and pedals, thanks to which, with standard car dimensions, it comfortably accommodates up to 6 passengers on two sofas facing each other. The autonomous control system has been repeatedly tested on autonomous cars GM Cruise. The electric platform is designed for almost continuous movement and a range of about 1 million miles (1.6 million km).
A source: Engadget
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