Mar 20 (Japan Today) - American automaker General Motors says it is acquiring SoftBank's $2.1 billion stake in its autonomous car venture Cruise.
In addition, GM will chip in another $1.35 billion investment to cover a commitment made in 2018 by the Vision Fund of SoftBank, a Japanese telecom giant.
The Detroit firm has ramped up its investments in autonomous technology and its build-out of electric vehicle capacity as it looks to curb emissions and engage in a technology race with Tesla and other self-driving ventures.
Cruise last month opened a sign-up page to allow consumers to take a driverless ride.
GM is the main investor in the venture, which also is backed by Microsoft, Honda and Walmart.