A General Motors emblem is displayed outdoors the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant on Jan. 27, 2020, in Hamtramck, Mich.

Paul Sancya/AP

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Paul Sancya/AP

A General Motors emblem is displayed outdoors the General Motors Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant on Jan. 27, 2020, in Hamtramck, Mich.

Paul Sancya/AP

Kyle Vogt has resigned as CEO of Cruise, General Motors’ autonomous car unit, as questions construct concerning the security of self-driving automobiles.

Vogt’s determination to step down, introduced late Sunday, follows a latest recall of all 950 Cruise automobiles to replace software program after one in every of them dragged a pedestrian to the facet of a San Francisco avenue in early October. The California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the license for Cruise.

The firm earlier introduced it had paused operations for a evaluation by unbiased specialists.

“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 corporate mentioned in an announcement. “We will continue to advance AV technology in service of our mission to make transportation safer, cleaner and more accessible.”

Cruise gained approval to move fare-paying passengers final 12 months. Since then, the autonomous automobiles have drawn complaints for making sudden, traffic-clogging stops that critics say threaten to inconvenience different vacationers and imperil public security.

Late final 12 months, U.S. security regulators mentioned they have been investigating reviews that autonomous robotaxis run by Cruise can cease too shortly or unexpectedly give up shifting, probably stranding passengers.

Problems at Cruise may gradual the deployment of totally autonomous automobiles that carry passengers with out human drivers on board. It additionally may convey stronger federal regulation of the automobiles, that are carrying passengers in additional cities nationwide.

Cruise had been testing 300 robotaxis in the course of the day when it may solely give rides totally free, and 100 robotaxis at night time when it was allowed to cost for rides in much less congested elements of San Francisco. Vogt earlier mentioned most collisions have been brought on by inattentive or impaired human drivers, not the AVs.

Cruise’s assertion mentioned its board had accepted Vogt’s resignation. Mo Elshenawy, Cruise’s govt vice chairman of engineering, will turn into president and chief know-how officer. It mentioned Craig Glidden additionally will function president and proceed as chief administrative officer for Cruise, an appointment introduced earlier.

GM acquired a majority stake in Cruise when it was a startup in 2016. The firm invested to take 80% stake within the firm in May 2021.

Vogt attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was a co-founder of Twitch, an interactive livestreaming service for content material together with gaming, leisure, sports activities and music. Amazon acquired Twitch for about $1 billion in 2014.