Kyle Vogt, CEO of the Cruise, Resigns as Questions Linger
A Statement on Cruise Using Self-Driving Robots and Robotik: The Impact of Impaired Drivers on Traffic and Driver Safety
Vogt’s approach to self-driving technology was distinct from the slower-moving and cautious approach at parent company General Motors. Still, General Motors reaffirmed its faith in the Cruise founder in 2021, when GM veteran Dan Ammann left the company. Vogt, then CTO at Cruise, was appointed as interim CEO before permanently taking the role in 2022.
“The results of our ongoing reviews will inform additional next steps as we work to build a better Cruise centered around safety, transparency and trust,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to advance AV technology in service of our mission to make transportation safer, cleaner and more accessible.”
Cruise won approval to transport fare-paying passengers last year. Protesters have complained about the traffic-clogging stops that the cars make, which they say endangers public safety and could cause other travelers to leave.
Cruise had been testing 300 robotaxis during the day when it could only give rides for free, and 100 robotaxis at night when it was allowed to charge for rides in less congested parts of San Francisco. Most crashes are caused by impaired human drivers, rather than the AVs, according to Vogt.
The company stated in a statement that the vice president of engineering, Mo Elshenawy, would replace the president and chief technology officer. Craig Glidden, GM’s executive vice president of legal and policy, who was appointed last week as Cruise’s chief administrative officer, will also serve as the unit’s president. There will be no interim CEO.
A Memorandum to the CEO of the e-Streaming Platform, Twitch, and the Cruise Workers: On the Failure of Customer Satisfaction
Vogt went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he co-founded livestreaming service for content including gaming, entertainment, sports and music. Amazon acquired Twitch for about $1 billion in 2014.
A message was written to the Cruise workers on X, saying that they had proven there was something better around the corner. The company’s troubles did not come up.
