Cruise
Cruise (Cruise LLC) was a General Motors subsidiary that developed Level 4 autonomous driving technology and operated a robotaxi service in San Francisco using the Cruise Origin electric vehicle. Following regulatory fallout from a 2023 incident, GM shut down robotaxi operations in 2024 and folded Cruise into its Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance program across 23+ GM vehicle models.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Cruise does
Cruise (legal entity Cruise LLC) was an autonomous vehicle company founded in 2013 and acquired by General Motors in 2016, which progressively raised its ownership to approximately 80% by March 2022 and completed a full acquisition in February 2025. The company originally developed Level 4 autonomous driving technology combining LiDAR, cameras, and radar sensors in a redundant multi-sensor architecture, and operated a fully driverless robotaxi service in San Francisco using the purpose-built Cruise Origin electric vehicle manufactured at GM's Factory ZERO plant in Michigan. Following an October 2023 pedestrian dragging incident, false regulatory filings, and California DMV/CPUC permit revocations, GM shut down Cruise's standalone robotaxi operations in late 2024, cut headcount by approximately 50% (~1,000 employees), and reduced Cruise's budget by $1 billion.
The company's core technology and engineering talent have been redirected into GM's Super Cruise hands-free advanced driver assistance system, which is offered across 23+ vehicle models spanning Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick brands and is monetized via OnStar Super Cruise or OnStar One subscription plans. Super Cruise leverages over 705 million miles of customer-driven data and operates on a 600,000+ mile hands-free road network in the U.S. and Canada. GM has announced an 'eyes-off' driving capability planned for 2028 on the Cadillac ESCALADE IQ, representing the next autonomy milestone on Cruise-derived technology.
Cumulatively, GM invested approximately $12.1 billion in Cruise over roughly nine years, including a $5 billion GM Financial credit line for Cruise Origin production. Cruise previously raised additional capital from SoftBank Vision Fund 1, Honda, Walmart, and Microsoft, and reached a peak valuation of approximately $30 billion. As of 2025, Cruise operates as an internal autonomy R&D unit within GM rather than as a revenue-generating standalone entity; its former competitive advantages in capital intensity, multi-sensor IP, and data scale now accrue to GM's consumer vehicle strategy rather than to an independent mobility service.
Cruise firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cruise
- Legal name
- Cruise LLC
- Website
- https://getcruise.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Cruise (Cruise LLC) was a General Motors subsidiary that developed Level 4 autonomous driving technology and operated a robotaxi service in San Francisco using the Cruise Origin electric vehicle. Following regulatory fallout from a 2023 incident, GM shut down robotaxi operations in 2024 and folded Cruise into its Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance program across 23+ GM vehicle models.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cruise industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Autonomous Vehicle Technology
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (3361), Automobile and Light Duty Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (33611)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Autonomous Ride-Hailing / Robotaxi Platforms (THADADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Steering/Chassis Actuation for ADAS Manufacturing (EPS/Steer-by-Wire/Actuators) (IMACAMAI)
Keywords
Where Cruise is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cruise business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Robotaxi Operations: Cruise was operating driverless robotaxi rides in San Francisco. This revenue stream was discontinued in late 2024 following the pedestrian dragging incident and regulatory scrutiny.
- Super Cruise Subscription: GM generates revenue through Super Cruise subscription plans (OnStar Super Cruise or OnStar One plan) available on 23+ vehicle models across Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick brands.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | OnStar Super Cruise / OnStar One Plan |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Cruise product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cruise develops autonomous vehicle technology for General Motors. The company historically operated a fully driverless robotaxi service in San Francisco using the purpose-built Cruise Origin electric vehicle, manufactured at GM's Factory ZERO plant in Michigan. Following the 2024 shutdown of robotaxi operations, Cruise's autonomous driving technology now powers Super Cruise, GM's hands-free advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) available on 23 vehicle models across Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick brands.
Product overview
Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, originally operated as a robotaxi company focused on autonomous ride-hailing services using the purpose-built Cruise Origin electric vehicle. Following the 2023 pedestrian incident and regulatory challenges, GM shut down Cruise's standalone robotaxi operations in 2024-2025, pivoting to integrate autonomous technology into personal consumer vehicles. GM's autonomous driving portfolio centers on Super Cruise (hands-free ADAS available on 23 vehicle models), with plans for 'eyes-off' autonomous capability launching 2028 on Cadillac vehicles. The company is also developing simulation infrastructure and absorbing approximately 1,000 former Cruise employees into its consumer autonomous vehicle development unit.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cruise Origin: Electric autonomous vehicle manufactured by Cruise at GM's Factory ZERO plant in Michigan, designed specifically for robotaxi services.
Products and services
- Cruise Origin An electric autonomous vehicle manufactured by Cruise in Michigan, designed as a purpose-built robotaxi with no steering wheel or pedals for fully driverless rides. Targeted at autonomous ride-hailing services (operations now discontinued).
- Super Cruise GM's hands-free advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) that allows drivers to remove their hands from the wheel and feet from the pedals while maintaining control of the vehicle under proper conditions on compatible roads. Available on 23 vehicle models across GMC, Chevrolet, Cadillac, and Buick brands.
Quantifiable outcome
- 705+ million Super Cruise miles driven without a single reported crash attributed to the technology
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Cruise
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cruise technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cruise partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- European Ride-hailing PlatformminorCruise's partnership with a European ride-hailing platform in November 2025 represented an expansion into the European market before operations were curtailed.
- UbercoreCruise partnered with Uber to serve as a distribution layer through its consumer app, with Uber monetizing ride data and taking strategic stakes in autonomous startups. Cruise was listed as one of Uber's autonomous vehicle partners alongside Waymo, Aurora, Avride, Motional, and WeRide.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cruise competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Waymo: Alphabet's autonomous driving subsidiary and the dominant U.S. robotaxi operator. Waymo is Cruise's most direct competitor in the autonomous ride-hailing space, continuing to operate commercial robotaxi services in multiple U.S. cities while Cruise exited the market.
- Tesla: Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite is a direct competitor to Cruise's Super Cruise in the consumer ADAS market, while Tesla's planned robotaxi service (Cybercab) directly targets the autonomous ride-hailing segment Cruise pioneered.
- Mobileye: Intel-owned ADAS and autonomous driving technology provider supplying perception systems and self-driving solutions to global automakers. Mobileye competes directly with Cruise's Super Cruise technology in the OEM ADAS market and is pursuing its own robotaxi ambitions.
- Zoox: Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle company developing purpose-built robotaxis. Zoox is a direct peer to Cruise's original robotaxi mission, also building a no-steering-wheel electric vehicle for autonomous ride-hailing.
- Motional: Joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv developing autonomous robotaxi technology. Motional is a direct peer in the autonomous ride-hailing space and was previously listed as a partner with Uber alongside Cruise.
Emerging players
- Aurora Innovation: Autonomous driving technology company developing the Aurora Driver platform for trucking and ride-hailing. Aurora is a peer in the Level 4 autonomous technology space, with a partnership focus that overlaps with Cruise's former robotaxi strategy.
- WeRide: Chinese autonomous driving company operating robotaxi services globally, with partnerships including Uber. WeRide competes in the same L4 robotaxi market that Cruise exited and is a direct peer in autonomous ride-hailing technology.
- Pony.ai: Autonomous driving technology company developing robotaxi and trucking applications. Pony.ai is a peer in L4 autonomous vehicle technology and has navigated similar regulatory and operational challenges as Cruise.
Broad incumbents
- Aptiv: Global automotive technology supplier providing ADAS, autonomous driving, and connected vehicle solutions. Aptiv is a broad incumbent in autonomous driving and is also a Motional co-parent, making it a relevant peer in the broader AV technology ecosystem.
Others
- NVIDIA: Provides the DRIVE computing platform that powers many autonomous vehicle development programs including Cruise's former robotaxi fleet. NVIDIA is an enabling technology provider in the AV ecosystem and shapes competitive dynamics for all autonomous driving peers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cruise social profiles
Digital presenceCruise financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cruise leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Cruise funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds13 records
Investors26 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cruise M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cruise
What does Cruise do?
Cruise develops autonomous vehicle technology for General Motors. The company historically operated a fully driverless robotaxi service in San Francisco using the purpose-built Cruise Origin electric vehicle, manufactured at GM's Factory ZERO plant in Michigan. Following the 2024 shutdown of robotaxi operations, Cruise's autonomous driving technology now powers Super Cruise, GM's hands-free advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) available on 23 vehicle models across Chevrolet, GMC, Cadillac, and Buick brands.
Is Cruise a public or private company?
Cruise is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently closed.
When was Cruise founded?
Cruise was founded in 2013. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Cruise based?
Cruise is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cruise make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Robotaxi Operations are the primary driver. The others are super Cruise Subscription.
Who are Cruise's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Waymo, Tesla, Mobileye, Zoox and Motional. Emerging players are Aurora Innovation, WeRide and Pony.ai. Aptiv is listed as a broad incumbent. NVIDIA is listed as an others.
Does Cruise have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cruise.
What industry is Cruise in?
Cruise's product category is Autonomous Vehicle Technology. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THADADAL, Autonomous Ride-Hailing / Robotaxi Platforms, with a secondary code of IMACAMAI, Steering/Chassis Actuation for ADAS Manufacturing (EPS/Steer-by-Wire/Actuators). Its NAICS code is 3361.