Cruise finally received in August 2023 the final permit required by California regulators to operate commercially in San Francisco. Two months later, the company would come under intense scrutiny following an October 2 incident that left a pedestrian stuck under and then dragged by one of its robotaxis. That incident, and Cruise’s actions in the immediate aftermath, led to Cruise losing its permits to operate in California, grounding its entire U.S. fleet, its co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt stepping down, rounds of layoffs, and GM taking more direct control over what was once a promising self-driving startup.
Even as GM tried to reign in costs, all roads seemed to point toward a reboot.