November 20, 2023

Autonomous vehicle startup CEO resigns

Kyle Vogt, co-founder of Cruise, the autonomous vehicle startup owned by General Motors, has announced his resignation in the wake of recent challenges. While not specifying the exact reason for his departure in a social media message, Vogt expressed gratitude to those who contributed to Cruise's journey.

In his statement, Vogt reflected on the remarkable 10-year journey, acknowledging the collaborative effort that led Cruise to provide over 250,000 driverless rides across various cities. Despite the recent setbacks, he highlighted the positive impact Cruise has had on people's perception of the future of transportation.

Following Vogt's resignation, Mo Elshenawy, Cruise's executive vice president of engineering, is set to assume leadership of the company.

Cruise faced recent setbacks, prompting the recall of all 950 self-driving systems and a software update after an incident involving a pedestrian. This led to a temporary halt in operations across all autonomous vehicle fleets after the state of California suspended Cruise's license to operate driverless vehicles.

Despite these challenges, Vogt expressed confidence in Cruise's future, emphasizing the company's solid roadmap and exciting product vision. He encouraged his former colleagues, expressing belief in their ability to overcome the recent difficulties.

Vogt, looking ahead, mentioned plans to spend more time with his family and explore new ideas. Despite his departure, he remains optimistic about Cruise's prospects and the positive impact the company can have on transforming the current state of transportation.

Car Care Tip

Check Drive Belts

Your engine does not only produce power to your wheels so your vehicle will run, it also generates power so that other parts and accessories will run as well. This is the function of the drive belts. They transfer power from your cam or crankshaft to the car's alternator, air conditioning compressor, power steering pump, air pump, water pump, and any other device that relies on mechanical power.

Modern cars use a single belt (also known as a serpentine belt) to connect and rotate from the crank pulley. Unfortunately, because these belts are typically made of rubber or other polymers, they do wear a lot, even with normal use. Over time they lose their integrity and simply degrade. As such, it is important to check these belts from time to time for visible hairline cracks or any change in their integrity. You will need to look at the integrity of both your serpentine belt or V-belt and your timing belt. You also need to know the differences between the three.

It is usually recommended to replace your serpentine belt every 40,000 miles and your timing belt every 60,000 miles. If you're already nearing the recommended mileage, then you should have your belts inspected and evaluated by a professional.

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Thanks for reading,

The Editor

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