The company said it is currently running a paid-for driverless ride-hailing service in the northwest borough of San Francisco for most riders. A company spokesman said Cruise will continue to expand its paid services and align with the smoothest customer experience.
Cruise currently offers a range of services, from daytime rides in its self-driving vehicles with safety drivers to nighttime rides in its fully driverless cars. (The company is currently banned from offering rides in driverless vehicles during the day). Cruise has been testing free driverless cars for the public in San Francisco since February.
The cost of a ride in Cruise’s driverless vehicle will vary based on the length of the trip and the time of day. According to an example the company provided, a customer taking a 1.3-mile trip would pay $0.90 per mile and $0.40 per minute, for a total of $8.72, in addition to the $5 base fee and 1.5% city tax. (By comparison, taking Uber for the same trip would cost at least $10.41).
Cruise also now allows passengers to bring a guest on a trip. The company’s “Cruise–Driverless Rides” iOS app is now available atappleThe App Store offers an invitation code to riders who have previously signed up for the public waiting list.
Self-driving cars are still a long way from the ubiquity and convenience of most ride-hailing services. But progress in offering paid rides remains noteworthy. Cruise isn’t the first company to charge for rides, Google spinoff Waymo already charges for its self-driving cars in Phoenix, Arizona and drives it in San Francisco (self-driving cars with safety drivers) to charge. But the company has yet to receive final approval to charge passengers for rides in its driverless vehicles.
