GM’s Cruise Automation Wants to Make HD Maps for Self-Driving Cars

As it continues to test prototype self-driving cars, General Motors’ Cruise Automation division may also be expanding its focus to include high-definition maps, reports The Wall Street Journal. The paper noted that Cruise is currently recruiting a leader for a new HD-mapping team. The job posting says mapping efforts will eventually cover 100 cities.

Cruise’s move to develop HD maps is one of the few major efforts by an automaker to grow the technology in-house.Most other automakers rely on partnerships with suppliers and tech companies to get their digital maps. Ford is backing Civil Maps, while Audi, BMW, and Daimler bought Here from Nokia specifically for its mapping technology. Mobileye has enlisted BMW, Nissan, and Volkswagen to help develop crowdsourced maps using sensor data from customer cars.