Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt resigned on Nov. 19, just weeks after the San Francisco-based company suspend its operations in Houston and everywhere else it was operating.
"Today I resigned from my position as CEO of Cruise," Vogt wrote on X without elaborating on the exact reason for departing from the company he co-founded in 2013.
Just one day prior, Vogt apologized to Cruise employees via email and took responsibility for Cruise's current problems, Reuters reported.
"I am sorry we have veered off course under my leadership and that this has affected many Cruisers in a deeply personal way," Vogt reportedly wrote. "As CEO, I take responsibility for the situation Cruise is in today. There are no excuses, and there is no sugar coating what has happened. We need to double down on safety, transparency, and community engagement."
The California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended the permit for the robotaxi company, owned by General Motors, on Oct. 24, preventing Cruise from operating its driverless car service on California roads.
The suspension came just weeks after one of Cruise's vehicles pinned and dragged a woman for 20 feet after she was hit by a different car in a hit-and-run accident in San Francisco.
After the regulatory suspension, Cruise recalled all of its vehicles nationally to address software issues related to collision detection.
Cruise also subsequently suspended an employee share buyback program, but in his Nov. 18 email to employees, Vogt said the company would make a new tender offer for employee shares, according to Reuters.
As of Nov. 20, it was unclear whether General Motors had appointed an interim CEO to replace Vogt.
General Motors bought Cruise for $581 million in 2016, according to PitchBook.
Here is Vogt's full post announcing his resignation, edited for clarity:
Today I resigned from my position as CEO of Cruise.
The last 10 years have been amazing, and I’m grateful to everyone who helped Cruise along the way. The startup I launched in my garage has given over 250,000 driverless rides across several cities, with each ride inspiring people with a small taste of the future.
Cruise is still just getting started, and I believe it has a great future ahead. The folks at Cruise are brilliant, driven, and resilient. They’re executing on a solid, multi-year roadmap and an exciting product vision. I’m thrilled to see what Cruise has in store next!
To my former colleagues at Cruise and GM - you’ve got this! Regardless of what originally brought you to work on AVs, remember why this work matters. The status quo on our roads sucks, but together we’ve proven there is something far better around the corner.
As for what’s next for me, I plan to spend time with my family and explore some new ideas. Thanks for the great ride!
