General Motors’ self-driving subsidiary, Cruise, is grappling with leadership turbulence as co-founder and chief product officer Daniel Kan steps down just a day after CEO Kyle Vogt’s resignation. Kan’s departure, communicated via a Slack message, adds to the uncertainty surrounding Cruise, currently undergoing a safety review of its U.S. fleet.
Kan, in his resignation message, highlighted Cruise’s recent achievement of serving 10,000 rides per week, expressing confidence in the company’s ability to reclaim its success.
Meanwhile, GM executives, including CEO Mary Barra, provided scant information in a live-streamed meeting on Monday, leaving employees with unanswered questions about Cruise’s future and a contentious plan to halt a share resale program.
Vogt’s resignation follows increased scrutiny by GM and Cruise’s board, triggered by an October accident involving one of Cruise’s self-driving taxis and a pedestrian. The incident prompted Cruise to halt all U.S. testing for a safety review. Vogt took responsibility for the company’s challenges in an email to staff over the weekend.
GM has made leadership changes at Cruise, appointing general counsel Craig Glidden as chief administrative officer, introducing a third-party safety officer, and naming co-presidents.
The autonomous vehicle industry, reliant on public trust and regulatory cooperation, faces setbacks as Cruise navigates its safety review and leadership transitions. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg emphasised the government’s commitment to ensuring the safe deployment of autonomous vehicles.