GM Calls It Quits on Mary Barra’s $50 Billion Robotaxi Dream (1)

General Motors Co. Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra, clad in her signature leather jacket and masked up pandemic style, climbed into a Cruise robotaxi named Tostada for her first autonomous ride almost three years ago.

“Oh my God,” she exclaimed in a moment GM promoted with a video. “This is incredible.”

Now she is shutting down the business, citing the high costs to develop the technology and build out a fleet of cars in multiple cities, retreating from a once-promising market that proved full of reputational pitfalls for the automaker.

Instead, Barra will merge Cruise into GM’s operations ...