Cruise ‘just days away’ from approval to mass-produce Origin robotaxi without steering wheels

GM-backed Cruise is “just days away” from regulatory approval to begin mass production of its fully autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, the company’s CEO, Kyle Vogt, said at an investor conference Thursday.

But that process may be nearing an end. Vogt said that NHTSA is expected to make a decision soon on the company’s request, perhaps sometime later this month.

“The Origin does require a special approval because it doesn’t have a steering wheel,” Vogt said at a Goldman Sachs event. “So it’s really hard to be in compliance with all the safety regulations around steering wheels if you don’t have one.”

Cruise “asked for an exemption … from this and that’s what we’re expecting any day, which would be an endorsement of our approach to safety for that that vehicle.”

A spokesperson for NHTSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.