Microsoft announced that it has made a $2 billion investment in Cruise, which develops autonomous vehicles, and has formed a long-term strategic relationship with Cruise and its parent company GM to accelerate the commercialization of autonomous vehicles.
This relationship will allow Cruise to leverage Microsoft’s cloud computing platform, Azure. In the development of autonomous driving, you can expect to pursue Waymo by adding Azure to the cruise in the form of Cruise following Waymo, which is under the same alphabet as Google. In addition to Microsoft, Honda, Softbank, and T. RowePriceGroup are investing in Cruise.
Meanwhile, Cruise announced Cruise Origin, an autonomous vehicle without steering wheel or pedals in 2020. However, the service date for the autonomous taxi service using such vehicles has been postponed, and the schedule has not yet been announced. Related information can be found here .