A Cruise robotaxi recently found itself in a sticky situation, as photos shared on social media showed the vehicle stuck in wet concrete. The incident incited several reactions online, with some arguing the autonomous cars are not yet ready for a full, unrestrained rollout.
The Cruise robotaxi, which seemed to be named “Oasis,” drove into wet cement at a construction site on Golden Gate Avenue between Fillmore and Steiner streets in San Francisco. After a small distance, the car’s two front wheels sank into the freshly poured concrete, rendering the vehicle inoperable.
In a comment to the San Francisco Gate, resident Paul Harvey said the vehicle probably could not tell it was about to drive into wet cement. “I can see five different scenarios where bad things happen, and this is one of them. It thinks it’s a road, and it ain’t because it ain’t got a brain, and it can’t tell that it’s freshly poured concrete,” Harvey observed.
Harvey also said he later saw people pulling out the stuck robotaxi, reportedly confirmed by a Cruise spokesperson. It was also highlighted by the company in a social media post. As noted by the company, the vehicle has already been recovered and Cruise is in communication with the city about the matter.
The recent Cruise mishap came less than a week after the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) decided to allow the expansion of Cruise and Waymo’s self-driving services in San Francisco. With the approval in place, Cruise and Waymo can operate anywhere and anytime in the city and charge for their services as needed.
At the end of that meeting, CPUC Commissioner John Reynolds said the decision was the first step in the mainstream adoption of autonomous driving technology.
Abby Andrews