Cruise, the embattled autonomous vehicle company, has made a settlement offer of $75,000 to resolve a dispute with the state of California over allegations that the company misled regulators regarding a driverless car crash in October. The offer was made in a motion filed on Friday, as Cruise seeks to defer an order on issues raised by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
The CPUC has accused Cruise of covering up key details following a collision in Downtown San Francisco, where a Cruise vehicle struck and dragged a woman after she was hit by a human-driven car. The company now faces fines of up to $1.5 million from the state alone. However, Cruise has expressed its commitment to rebuilding trust with regulators and enhancing transparency and cooperation.
In response to the crash, Cruise had previously pledged to strengthen its technology as regulators intensified their scrutiny of the robotaxi service. However, state officials revoked the company’s ability to operate its driverless cars when it was revealed that Cruise failed to disclose certain crash-related information. Consequently, Cruise suspended its robotaxi service nationwide.
Since the incident, Cruise has undergone significant changes. CEO Kyle Vogt and co-founder Dan Kan have stepped down, and General Motors, which owns Cruise, has announced plans to reduce its spending on the company. Additionally, Cruise recently laid off 900 employees, representing a quarter of its workforce, along with nine executives.
As part of its efforts towards resolution, Cruise has hired a law firm to investigate its interactions with state regulators following the crash. The company plans to make the findings public before an upcoming evidentiary hearing. Cruise has also offered to adopt new data reporting measures, including providing more timely collision reports to regulators and responding to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ permit reinstatement queries.
Cruise’s proposed settlement and commitment to increased transparency signal its willingness to cooperate in order to ensure the safety, equity, and accessibility of autonomous vehicle services. The CPUC, however, has yet to respond to Cruise’s offer.
The source of the article is from the blog reporterosdelsur.com.mx