Cruise's Kyle Vogt: GM Will Deploy Automated Rideshare Cars 'Very Quickly'

An autonomous Chevrolet Bolt is tested at General Motors' Technical Center in Warren, Michigan. When General Motors bought Cruise Automation for $581 million one year ago it was a head-turning deal that brought together a massive, traditional Midwestern carmaker with a tiny San Francisco startup. This quirky pairing may be working as Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt says automated GM vehicles controlled by Cruise technology ar going to be deployed "very quickly." Vogt, who began dabbling in self-driving car technology as a student at MIT in the early 2000s and has been called a "robot guru," has kept a low public profile the past few months amid nonstop announcements by others in the driverless car space. But in a recent conversation with Forbes he gave an update on Cruise's relationship with GM, progress on their automated vehicle program and the rush of competitive activity.