Newsom said he agreed with the decision "absolutely, with a few exclamation points."
"I didn't read the details of what they published, but I'm deeply aware of what led to their consideration and ultimately their judgment and their analysis," he told reporters Wednesday in Beijing, where he has traveled on a climate-focused international trip.
The day before, Newsom drove a hybrid car with self-driving abilities at an electric bus depot in Shenzhen, China. Officials at the depot helped Newsom use the car's self-driving mode to spin in a slow circle while the governor waved his hands to show he wasn't controlling the steering wheel. Afterward, he marveled at the technology of the car, which also has the ability to float in water, noting that China is surging ahead of California in bringing technologies like the ones at the depot to market.
Newsom angered his allies in the labor movement last month when he sided with technology companies and vetoed a bill that would have banned trucks from operating without human drivers. In his veto message, he argued the DMV already has sufficient power to regulate the burgeoning autonomous vehicle industry.
"DMV continuously monitors the testing and operations of autonomous vehicles on California roads and has the authority to suspend or revoke permits as necessary to protect the public's safety," he wrote in his veto message. "Autonomous vehicle technology is evolving and DMV remains committed to keeping our rules up to date to reflect its continued development in California."
The Teamsters union criticized Newsom's veto of the bill and argued the DMV's decision didn't punish Cruise harshly enough in a statement released Wednesday.
"Regulators and lawmakers need to stop letting Big Tech use California as a playpen for its expensive toys," wrote Peter Finn, vice president of the Teamsters' western region. "It's only a matter of time before this results in a fatality."
The DMV suspended Cruise, an autonomous taxi company owned by General Motors, from operating driverless taxis in San Francisco, for allegedly withholding footage of the first autonomous vehicle-involved crash in San Francisco to result in severe injuries. The incident occurred after a human driver crashed into a woman crossing Market Street and hurled her into the path of a nearby Cruise taxi.
Cruise provided DMV investigators and journalists who covered the incident with footage showing the robotaxi braking hard after it collided with the pedestrian. But the DMV says the company withheld additional footage that showed the taxi then continuing to drive in a "pullover maneuver" that dragged the pedestrian, who was trapped underneath the car.
The victim, who has not been identified, remains in serious condition, according to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital.
Cruise and rival robotaxi service Waymo both received regulatory approval in August to operate their cars at all hours in San Francisco.
Cruise's suspension means only Waymo's robotaxis will be available for driverless rides in San Francisco. Alphabet-owned Waymo has not been linked to high-profile crashes and problems like Cruise.
Asked whether Waymo should still be operating in the city, Newsom said: "That's a separate question. We'll have to follow up on that."
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