Cruise opens robotaxi waitlist in Austin and Phoenix

Potential passengers in Phoenix and Austin are being invited to join the Cruise wait list to be one of the first Cruise passengers.

Since June, there has been no human safety operator behind the wheel of the company's fully self-driving taxi service. Austin, Texas and Phoenix, Arizona are going to be added to Cruise's resume. Cruise is on track to have its first public rides and deliveries by the end of the year, according to the CEO.

When Cruise launched its waitlist in San Francisco earlier this year, it promised that it would be free at first. In the past, the company said initial rides in Austin and Phoenix may be free with the intent to begin charging for the service shortly after, but a spokeswoman said today that Cruise will launch a paid service immediately.

The company began supervised testing in Austin with more than a dozen vehicles. Cruise intends to begin at limited scale and ramp up as the company produces more vehicles, specifically, the Cruise Origin, a purpose-builtAV that Cruise will rely on for its exponential levels of scale and domination across the U.S.

Cruise asked if day riders would use the service in the morning, afternoon, night and late night. Due to California's regulations, Cruise only operates from 10PM to 6AM in San Francisco. According to the company's FAQ, Cruise's main competitor, which has been providing a commercialrobotaxi service outside of Phoenix since 2020, operates 24 hours a day. It's possible that Cruise won't have to stay a vehicle of the night in Arizona.

Cruise will provide more updates on the times of day in the future.