July 23 (Reuters) - General Motors' ( GM ) Cruise

self-driving unit will focus its development efforts on a

next-generation Chevrolet Bolt rather than its planned

futuristic Origin vehicle that would not have a steering wheel

or other human controls, the automaker said.

In 2022, GM filed a petition with the National Highway

Traffic Safety Administration seeking permission to deploy up to

2,500 self-driving Origin vehicles annually without human

controls like brake pedals or mirrors. The agency still has not

acted on the request.

"GM and Cruise are optimizing resources to focus development

of our next autonomous vehicle on the next generation Bolt

instead of the Origin," a GM spokesperson said on Tuesday.

"This shift creates a more cost-effective and scalable

option for pursuing an autonomous future faster, while avoiding

the uncertain path to regulatory compliance in the U.S. that

could impede scaling of the Origin."

Cruise faces a number of investigations - including by

NHTSA, the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange

Commission - after an October accident in which one of its

robotaxis struck a pedestrian and dragged her 20 feet. Cruise

and GM came under heavy criticism after the accident, and the

California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked its permit to

operate driverless vehicles.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Emelia

Sithole-Matarisee)