Good morning!
It’s Monday, November 20, 2023, and this is The Morning Shift, your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. Here are the important stories you need to know.
I Need A Project Car For A Tall Dude | WCSYB?
1st Gear: Cruise Boss Quits
While facing a flood of distrust after one of its cars hit a pedestrian who had been hit by another car moments before, an ongoing probe into the safety of its cars and waning support for our self-driving future, General Motors-backed Cruise is about to tackle all that without a leader. The San Francisco-based tech company announced this weekend that CEO Kyle Vogt has resigned amid ongoing tensions for the company. Vogt will be succeeded by Mo Elshenawy and Craig Glidden, who each have a president title and will now “split traditional CEO duties,” reports Automotive News. The site reports: Vogt’s downfall marks an abrupt end to his tenure with a company he co-founded in 2013. This was his second stint as CEO. He took over last December after longtime GM executive Dan Amman departed.
Vogt announced his departure on X.
“Cruise is still just getting started, and I believe it has a great future ahead,” he wrote. “The folks at Cruise are brilliant, driven and resilient.”
Vogt departure from the company comes as it faces a probe into its safety practices across the U.S. Last month, the company announced it would stop all driver-less taxi services in America without safety drivers in place. A few weeks later, it followed that move by grounding its entire fleet while it probed its safety practices. Now, the company is hoping to rebuild its reputation, which was left in tatters following a spate of deadly crashes with Cruise vehicles in California, as well as backlash against their use from residents that are fed up of the autonomous cars blocking their roads.
2nd Gear: U.S. Investigates Kia And Hyundai Fire Risk
While U.S. regulators have their work cut out investigating safety at Cruise, another investigation has just been launched into 6.4 million Hyundai and Kia models that are at risk of fire.
More than 6 million Hyundai and Kia models could be affected by a brake issue, which could lead to fluid leaks that may cause fires, reports Reuters. Cars affected include the Kia Forte and Optima. Reuters explains: The Korean automakers have issued a string of recalls since 2016 for antilock braking system issues and fires.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was opening an audit query to evaluate the timeliness of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making “and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.”
In total, the probe relates to 16 Hyundai and Kia recalls that were announced between 2016 and 2023. NHTSA will use the investigation to check that the recalls were fixed correctly and that Hyundai and Kia met their legal obligations. If you are worried that … The Morning Shift – Monday, November 20, 2023 from r/cars
