General Motors’ Cruise unit signals progress with Dubai deal – Reuters

General Motors’ Cruise unit signals progress with Dubai deal – Reuters

FILE PHOTO: A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company's headquarters in San Francisco where it does most of its testing, in California, U.S., September 26, 2018. Picture taken on September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File PhotoDETROIT (Reuters) - General Motors Co's majority owned Cruise self-driving car subsidiary said on Monday it plans to begin deploying its robotaxis in Dubai beginning in 2023, in a deal that signals the company is more confident about launching its first commercial service in San Francisco before then.Dubai's Road and Transit Authority and Cruise said in a joint statement that Cruise will deploy a limited number of its purpose-built Cruise Origin vehicles in the emirate in 2023, making Dubai the first city outside the United States where Cruise will operate. By 2030, Cruise and Dubai's transit authority said they plan to have 4,000 self-driving taxis in operation. Cruise will be the exclusive robotaxi service provider in the emirate until 2029.Cruise and GM executives have said Cruise will launch its commercial service first in the startup's hometown of San Francisco, before expanding elsewhere. The company on Monday did not say when it plans to launch