This San Francisco cruise apparently couldn't figure out how to pull aside on a narrow street to let a bus pass.
Matt Rosoff, CNBC
General Motors' Cruise autonomous vehicle unit has fired nine “key executives” amid ongoing safety investigations sparked by an October accident in San Francisco, according to an internal memo seen by CNBC.
According to the company-wide announcement, which was confirmed as authentic by GM and Cruise spokespeople, the departures include executives from Cruise's legal, government affairs, commercial operations and safety and systems teams.
The message said “new leadership is necessary” for the company to regain trust and operate “with the highest standards of safety, integrity and accountability.”
The shakeup, first reported by Portal, follows an initial analysis of Cruise's response to an Oct. 2 accident involving one of Cruise's robotaxis in which a pedestrian was swept away after the person was struck by another vehicle. Last month, Cruise suspended all road traffic in the U.S. following reports of the accident.
The company also faces regulatory pressure and fines for potentially misleading or withholding information about the accident.
GM CEO Mary Barra, who also serves as Cruise's chairman, said last week that the company was “very focused on righting the ship” at Cruise. His actions include two ongoing external security reviews that will guide the company's path forward. Completion is expected for early 2024.
“The personnel decisions made today are a necessary step for Cruise moving forward as the company believes in accountability, trust and transparency. GM remains committed to supporting Cruise in these efforts,” GM said in an emailed statement on Wednesday.
Cruise CEO and co-founder Kyle Vogt and co-founder and chief product officer Dan Kan also both resigned from the self-driving taxi company.
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