Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Cruise Origin, a self-driving shuttle van without steering wheel or pedals

General Motors knows that the means of transport will change when the autonomous systems manage to overcome all the obstacles they face. Along with the private vehicles, there is also a clear focus on public transport, and in that aspect, just revealed “Cruise Origin” can be a good example.

The Cruise Origin, which the General Motors subsidiary Cruise has now presented in San Francisco, is an electric shuttle van that stands out for the total absence of manual controls: there is neither steering wheel nor pedals. It lacks this because Cruise has designed this vehicle to operate specifically without a driver.

In the present prototype there is space for four passengers and their luggage.
In the present prototype, there is space for four passengers and their luggage.

The company has not given the technical data about the engine, systems to use, or any technical aspect. It has only been affirmed that by sharing routes, it can mean savings of up to $ 5,000 per year for customers. It is a fully electric and fully autonomous vehicle.

Cruise Origin does not have a front hood or trunk; in the end, you don’t need them. Instead, take advantage of the space to place six spacious seats, three on each side, that look more like those of a car, since they look at each other and are not arranged forward as in traditional cars. None of these seats is for the driver because once inside, there is nothing that tells you that you can take control of the Cruise Origin.

In addition to the arrangement of the seats inside, it also has screens, designed to show the itinerary and where to leave or pick up each passenger, and sliding doors. As indicated, the car can operate both day and night without rest because there is no driver who has to rest (it is understood that it will have to be recharged). The shuttle van has been promoted as a vehicle capable of detecting circumstances and pedestrians with “superhuman” ability and will be safer than the average human driver.

It consists only of a spacious passenger cabin with sliding doors.
It consists only of a spacious passenger cabin with sliding doors.

It seems to be an ideal vehicle for business partners, areas such as technology parks, and some urban routes. The company has not indicated any official price or the date on which they will start producing it.