General Motors Company (NYSE:GM)-owned Cruise has admitted errors were made following an incident last year of a pedestrian being dragged by one of its robotaxis after being thrown into its path.
Cruise said on Thursday that it “failed to live up to the justifiable expectations of regulators” in the wake of the October 2 incident, which ultimately saw the autonomous taxi firm lose its licence to operate in California after being granted it in August.
“We also fell woefully short of our own expectations,” a press release read
“We are profoundly remorseful both for the injuries to the pedestrian, as well as for breaching the trust of our regulators, the media, and the public.”
The comments came as the firm published an independent report into the incident by law firm Quinn Emanuel.
This found Cruise had displayed poor leadership, judgement, coordination and had taken an “us versus them” mentality with regulators during investigations into the incident.
Quinn said Cruise did not appear to intentionally mislead regulators, however, despite accusations over incomplete facts and videos being shared after the incident.
Cruise’s leadership team has since been overhauled, with chief product officer Daniel Kan and chief executive Kyle Vogt both having resigned.
Some 900 jobs were also set to be cut at the firm under plans announced in December.
“We believe that, over time, autonomous vehicles can significantly reduce the number and severity of car collisions,” Cruise added on Thursday.
“We know our licence to operate must be earned and is ultimately granted by regulators and the communities we serve.
“We are focused on advancing our technology and earning back public trust.”