GM exec: Cruise to start autonomous taxi service next year

General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle subsidiary plans to start running a fully autonomous taxi service in San Francisco next year. Product development chief Doug Parks told analysts Thursday that he has ridden in a Cruise vehicle with no driver, and the company is very close to deploying the service. He said the technology is coming rapidly and the companies are targeting commercial deployment next year. Parks also threw cold water on speculation that GM would spin off the majority-owned Cruise. He says GM believes the companies create more value as a combined entity.