Carl Jenkins, the head of hardware at General Motors’ Cruise self-driving unit, has announced his resignation from the company after six years of service. Jenkins, who served as the senior vice president for autonomous vehicle platforms, revealed his departure in a post on LinkedIn.
The decision comes amidst a series of departures from Cruise since the company suspended its U.S. operations in October. The suspension followed an incident in San Francisco where a pedestrian was struck by another vehicle and thrown into the path of a self-driving Cruise car, which dragged them for 20 feet (6 m).
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Following the incident, California suspended Cruise’s permit for driverless vehicles, leading Cruise to halt all U.S. self-driving vehicle testing. In November, the unit’s CEO at the time, Kyle Vogt, and co-founder Dan Kan resigned.
Jenkins’ departure is a significant development, as his team was responsible for developing Cruise’s self-driving hardware, including microchips, sensors, and computers, and collaborated with GM on product development.
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In an internal company post, Cruise Co-President Mo Elshenawy confirmed Jenkins’ departure and emphasized the importance of the autonomous vehicles platforms team in Cruise’s efforts to resume testing as soon as possible. Elshenawy did not provide a reason for Jenkins’ departure but expressed confidence in the team’s ability to navigate the company’s transitional period.
A Cruise spokesperson confirmed Jenkins’ departure and reiterated the company’s commitment to hardware and systems development for its self-driving vehicles, including the Bolt and Origin platforms.
