Photo: Cruise on Twitter
If you're the type of person to smash the door on your way out or the type that does not close it properly and worries about it, then Cruise has you covered from now on. The autonomous vehicle (AV) operator just announced auto-close doors for its entire fleet of vehicles.
Cruise is on a straight path to making Uber and what's left of traditional taxis irrelevant. But progress without human supervision and responsibility cannot happen safely, so there's still some way to go before ridesharing contractors and cab operators must find another profession or side hustle. Until then, however, changes in small increments will happen, and in time, they will amount to something extraordinary.
Cruise's automatic door-closing technology may seem insignificant in today's soft-closing doors world. But it matters because it proves that working with an established automaker may provide the upper hand needed to defeat competitors. General Motors wants Cruise to succeed and may help its subsidiary do so.
The company is active in Austin and Pheonix, and its target is to make driving as safe as flying. Statistically, it is more dangerous to get behind the wheel of a car than board a plane that flies 30,000 feet above the ground. That's not something commuters want to hear, but it's true. In 2021, 42,915 people died on US roads — the highest loss of life in nearly 15 years.
Cruise knows you might be focused on something else while traveling alone or with friends. It decided to implement the auto-close function on its vehicles to eliminate another possible user error that could temporarily stop an EV from doing its job and taking people to their destinations. The AV would only drive away if some basic preconditions are met, and having all the doors closed is one of them.
Plus, it's a nice touch that the company decided to mark Star Wars Day subtly with this change.
While Cruise is working to improve your experience as a customer, Waymo is on track to make driverless trips mainstream. The company has recently doubled its robotaxi service area in Phoenix, intending to grow beyond current limitations faster but without adding many new vehicles to the existing roster. Since it's generally cheaper than Uber and Lyft, people might soon demand Waymo (and maybe even Cruise) expand faster.
Besides that, now four people can ride in a Waymo-branded driverless battery-electric vehicle. Double dates are about to get more fun on the way to the restaurant!
Finally, Cruise may have announced a small improvement, but Rome wasn't built in a day, right? Continuously pushing boundaries is what gets you where you want to be. Nothing beats the ambition of companies that are hungry for massive profits as a result of disrupting the market.
Cruise's automatic door-closing technology may seem insignificant in today's soft-closing doors world. But it matters because it proves that working with an established automaker may provide the upper hand needed to defeat competitors. General Motors wants Cruise to succeed and may help its subsidiary do so.
The company is active in Austin and Pheonix, and its target is to make driving as safe as flying. Statistically, it is more dangerous to get behind the wheel of a car than board a plane that flies 30,000 feet above the ground. That's not something commuters want to hear, but it's true. In 2021, 42,915 people died on US roads — the highest loss of life in nearly 15 years.
Cruise knows you might be focused on something else while traveling alone or with friends. It decided to implement the auto-close function on its vehicles to eliminate another possible user error that could temporarily stop an EV from doing its job and taking people to their destinations. The AV would only drive away if some basic preconditions are met, and having all the doors closed is one of them.
Plus, it's a nice touch that the company decided to mark Star Wars Day subtly with this change.
While Cruise is working to improve your experience as a customer, Waymo is on track to make driverless trips mainstream. The company has recently doubled its robotaxi service area in Phoenix, intending to grow beyond current limitations faster but without adding many new vehicles to the existing roster. Since it's generally cheaper than Uber and Lyft, people might soon demand Waymo (and maybe even Cruise) expand faster.
Besides that, now four people can ride in a Waymo-branded driverless battery-electric vehicle. Double dates are about to get more fun on the way to the restaurant!
Finally, Cruise may have announced a small improvement, but Rome wasn't built in a day, right? Continuously pushing boundaries is what gets you where you want to be. Nothing beats the ambition of companies that are hungry for massive profits as a result of disrupting the market.
It’s not the force… it’s just our automatic door closing technology. ????? pic.twitter.com/0qMCDNPpaF
— cruise (@Cruise) May 4, 2023
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