--- title: "This Functioning Driverless Car Has No Driver’s Seat" description: "Self-driving company Cruise has unveiled driverless SUV-sized car called \"Origin\" that's been designed from the ground up to never have a driver." date: "2020-01-22" modified: "2020-01-22" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/functioning-driverless-car-no-driver-seat" categories: - "Advanced Transport" tags: - "driverless" - "driverless car" - "Self-driving cars" - "the digest" --- # This Functioning Driverless Car Has No Driver’s Seat ![Self-driving company Cruise has unveiled driverless SUV-sized car called "Origin" that's been designed from the ground up to never have a driver.]() *\Image: Cruise\* ## No Hands Self-driving company Cruise, a Honda-backed General Motors subsidiary, has unveiled an SUV-sized vehicle called "Origin" that's been designed from the ground up to never have a driver, [*The Verge* reports](). "We built this car around the idea of not having a driver and specifically being used in a ride-share fleet," Cruise co-founder Kyle Vogt told *The Verge*. ## Room for Activities Instead of the usual setup of a driver's seat with pedals and steering wheel, the Origin is just one large cabin. Two rows of two seats each face each other — allowing for a luxurious amount of legroom in the center. By making each component — everything from the interior to the computer and sensors — completely replaceable, the company is hoping to drive "the cost per mile down way lower than you could ever reach if you took a regular car and tried to retrofit it," Vogt told *The Verge*. **READ MORE:** [Exclusive look at Cruise’s first driverless car without a steering wheel or pedals]() \[*The Verge*\] **More on driverless cars:** *[Waymo Is Taking the Safety Drivers out of Its Autonomous Taxis]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()