GM’s plan to deploy self-driving Cruise Origin on hold as feds weigh exemption request

General Motors' mission to get 5,000 self-driving Cruise Origin vehicles in cities nationwide hangs on whether federal regulators will grant the automaker's request to exempt the vehicle from federal safety standards. "The Cruise Origin is on track to start production this year," said Aimee Ridella, GM spokeswoman. We need to update the motor vehicle standards.”Dingell said her number one priority is that those standards ensure that self-driving cars are safe. There have been three incidents, according to The Verge report, of Cruise cars calling 911 about unresponsive passengers. One of the groups that wants a slower roll-out of AVs is the San Francisco County Transit Authority (SFCTA).