More Self-Driving Cars Cruising Into Downtown San Francisco
There may be fewer human-piloted cars in downtown San Francisco these days, but one company is about to boost the number of self-driven cars found on the streets.
Cruise LLC, an autonomous vehicle company based in San Francisco, plans to lease two garages at 1601 Franklin St. for the creation of a charging hub and electric vehicle storage, according to a filing with the San Francisco Planning Commission.
EdgeConneX, a tech company focused on advancements in automobile innovation, filed the application to build the charging hub in 22K SF of garage space. EdgeConneX purchased the building earlier this year.
Work on the property is expected to take two months, with crews completing some cleaning and preservation work to make way for 40 Cruise vehicles. EdgeConneX couldn't be reached for comment.
Cruise will use the vehicles to provide ride-sharing services to area residents and visitors, according to planning documents.
The city of San Francisco approved the use of Cruise's self-driving cars on a limited basis earlier this year, though Wired last month reported the rollout has been rocky, with cars frequently causing traffic jams as the vehicles lose contact with the company, requiring tow truck intervention.
