GM abandons Cruise self-driving vehicle unit, was to be tested in Arizona [Video]

PHOENIX (AZFamily) —General Motors announced on Tuesday that it would exit the robotaxi business and stop funding its money-losing Cruise autonomous vehicle unit.

Instead, the Detroit automaker will focus on developing partially automated driver-assist systems like its Super Cruise, which allows drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel.

GM said it would exit robotaxis “given the considerable time and resources that would be needed to scale the business, along with an increasingly competitive robotaxi market.”

The company said it will combine Cruise’s technical team with its own to work on advanced systems to assist drivers.

Earlier in the year, the automaker had announced that testing would start in Phoenix and gradually expand to the East Valley, including Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert, Chandler, and Paradise Valley.

The vehicles would’ve operated in autonomous mode, but human drivers will be ready to take over if needed as the company takes a step toward …