This cruise in San Francisco couldn’t figure out how to pull over on a narrow street to let a passing bus pass.
Matt Rosoff, CNBC
General Motors’ Cruz autonomous vehicle division has fired nine “key leaders” amid ongoing safety investigations in the wake of the October crash in San Francisco, according to an internal message obtained by CNBC.
The departures include the heads of Cruise’s legal, government affairs, business operations and safety and systems groups, according to a company-wide release that GM and Cruise spokespeople confirmed.
“New leadership is essential” for the company to restore trust and “operate with the highest standards when it comes to safety, integrity and accountability,” the message said.
Shaking, was First reported By Reuters, the preliminary analysis follows an initial analysis of Cruise’s response to an Oct. 2 crash involving one of Cruise’s robotaxis, which dragged a pedestrian after the man collided with another vehicle. Last month, Cruise suspended all road operations in the US following news of the crash.
The company faces regulatory pressure and fines for misrepresenting or withholding accident information.
GM CEO Mary Barra, who also serves as Cruz’s chairman, said last week the company is “very focused on righting the ship” on Cruz. Its actions include two external safety reviews that will guide the company’s path forward. They are expected to be completed by early 2024.
“Today’s personnel decisions are a necessary step because of Cruise’s focus on accountability, trust and transparency. GM remains committed to supporting Cruise in these efforts,” GM said in an emailed statement Wednesday.
Cruise CEO and co-founder Kyle Vogt and co-founder and chief product officer Dan Kahn have both resigned from the self-driving taxi company.
This is breaking news. Check back for more updates.
