Not long after halting fleet operations to assess safety protocols, the CEO of General Motors’ self-driving car firm Cruise resigned.
Kyle Vogt wrote on X that his sincere appreciation goes out to everyone who has supported Cruise for the last decade. He said over 250,000 people have benefited from his company’s autonomous transportation since he started it in his garage.
He added that he sees a bright future for Cruise, which is still in its infancy. He said that the people working at Cruise are brilliant, motivated, and tough. They have an interesting product idea and a strong, multi-year plan to implement it.
“I can’t wait to see Cruise’s next projects!” he proclaimed.
This declaration follows Cruise’s late-October statement that it is temporarily suspending operations of its autonomous fleet throughout the United States.
Cruise said in an X post that restoring public confidence is their top priority. They said part of this is “taking a hard look at how they do things here at Cruise, even if it’s unpleasant.”
Due to its autonomous robotaxis testing and deployment permits, Cruise was suspended indefinitely by the California DMV. The testing did not go well.
Two rear-end collisions in December prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to launch a separate safety investigation into Cruise’s autonomous driving technology. The government warned that the cars might lock up or use excessively forceful brakes.
A GM representative told Reuters that the company plans to temporarily halt manufacturing of the Cruise Origin van after completing a limited number of pre-commercial cars. Cruise made the announcement two weeks ago.
“We have shown that there is a far brighter future ahead, but the present condition of our roads is inadequate,” Vogt noted in his departure statement.
His plans include spending time with his family and thinking creatively.
