Myth check
Was Cruise too early for robotaxis?
Not a timing failure since 2026-10-25 · ledger #27
Waymo ran and expanded paid driverless service in the same years.
Short answer
Cruise, owned by GM, ran driverless rides in San Francisco until a 2023 crash and suspension; in December 2024 GM said it would stop funding robotaxi development. Through the same years Waymo ran paid driverless rides and expanded to more cities. A competitor scaling in the same window means the enabler had crossed.
- Killing constraint
- Nothing was missing
E6 Behavioural norm - Who is in now
- Waymo
founded 2009 - Why it is not timing
- A competitor succeeded at the same time with the same enablers
The enablers it needed already existed; something else killed it.
Graveyard
Companies that died proving people wanted this. Capital shown where it was disclosed.
| Company | Years | Capital | How it died | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruise | 2013–2024 | — | GM ended robotaxi funding, December 2024 | source M |
Who succeeded at the same time
- Waymo (founded 2009) — paid driverless rides in several US cities source