What Happened: General Motors, on Tuesday said that it will no longer fund Cruise‘s robotaxi development but will instead combine the majority-owned unit into its technical teams.
Microsoft announced in January 2021 that it held a minority investment in Cruise, an autonomous vehicle company that is a majority-owned subsidiary of General Motors.
According to Microsoft the impairment charge “Will be recorded in other income and expense and was not included in our second quarter guidance provided on Oct. 30, 2024. It is estimated to have a negative impact of approximately $0.09 to second quarter diluted earnings per share.”
General Motors said that the robotaxi development work needs considerable time and resources to scale while adding that the robotaxi market is getting increasingly competitive. The company will now focus on developing its driver assistance technology called Super Cruise which requires active driver supervision, the company said.
Why It Matters: Bank of America analyst John Murphy believes General Motors' recent decision to prioritize personal autonomous vehicles (AVs) over robotaxi fleets signals a strategic shift, according to a Reuters report. Murphy argues that GM's confidence in the potential of personal AVs stems from the significant capital investment and operational challenges associated with scaling robotaxi fleets.
Former Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt, who left the company following an accident involving one of its robotaxis, took to X to criticize GM’s decision, labeling it as a misguided move.
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