In a surprise announcement, Kyle Vogt has resigned from his position as CEO of Cruise, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of General Motors. Vogt founded Cruise over 10 years ago and led its growth into a leading driverless technology company.
In a statement posted on X/Twitter, Vogt said “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.”
He reflected positively on Cruise’s progress but feels it is time to move on. “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!”
Vogt’s resignation comes shortly after Cruise pauses all driverless operations after regulatory crackdown. Regulatory agency stated that the action was taken due to “an unreasonable risk to public safety” posed by Cruise’s operations, California DMV affirmed that Cruise can still conduct testing with safety drivers present in the vehicle.
GM acquired Cruise in 2016 for over $1 billion to jumpstart its autonomous vehicle plans. Vogt led the integration and rapid scaling up of technology and testing.
In his parting words to colleagues, Vogt expressed confidence in Cruise’s future and encouraged the team to stay focused on the goal of improving transportation.
Vogt did not reveal specific reasons for resigning or detail his future plans. But he hinted at a desire to spend more time with family and explore new ventures outside Cruise.
The sudden departure of Cruise’s founding CEO leaves big shoes to fill. But the company has amassed significant technical talent and funding to see its mission through. Vogt’s exit marks the end of an era, but not necessarily a change in Cruise’s trajectory.