What We’re Reading
Cruise reveals DOJ, SEC probes as it releases internal report on pedestrian crash (TechCrunch, January 25, 2024)
Just when it seemed the dust may finally be settling on the fallout from Cruise’s handling of an October 2 incident where a robotaxi struck and then dragged a pedestrian, new probes by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission were revealed this week. According to an internal report released by law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, a lack of judgement, missteps by leadership, an “us versus them” relationship with regulators and a fixation on correcting the inaccurate media narrative that the Cruise AV, not the human-driven Nissan, had caused the accident were all contributing factors to Cruise’s problems.
“This myopic focus led Cruise to convey the information about the Nissan hit-and-run driver having caused the Accident to the media, regulators, and other government officials, but to omit other important information about the Accident. Even after obtaining the Full Video, Cruise did not correct the public narrative but continued instead to share incomplete facts and video about the Accident with the media and the public. This conduct has caused both regulators and the media to accuse Cruise of misleading them.”
The report further notes that “the three senior leaders of the company — the CEO, CLO, and COO — were not actively engaged in the regulatory response for the worst accident in Cruise’s history. Instead, they were trying to piece together what happened after the fact.”
GM to release plug-in hybrid vehicles, backtracking on product plans (CNBC, January 30, 2024)
In what appears to be one of the first pivots from a major automaker previously committed to full electrification transition, General Motors announced this week that its new product lineup strategy will prominently feature plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs). Although details of the new strategy were not disclosed, it appears that GM is reconsidering the viability of ICE vehicles supplemented with battery technologies — a concept previously abandoned by most major players in the EV landscape.
“Let me be clear, GM remains committed to eliminating tailpipe emissions from our light-duty vehicles by 2035, but, in the interim, deploying plug-in technology in strategic segments will deliver some of the environment or environmental benefits of EVs as the nation continues to build this charging infrastructure,” CEO Mary Barra said during the automaker’s quarterly and 2023 earnings call.
GM’s shifting strategy appears somewhat inconsistent with recent industry messaging and significant capital investment in electrification infrastructure. It remains to be seen whether other automakers will similarly pump the brakes on achieving full electrification as soon as practically feasible.
Ford will provide free adapters to access Tesla’s Supercharger network (Electrek, January 31, 2024)
Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, announced on Twitter today that the carmaker will provide free adapters for Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning owners in order to use Tesla’s Superchargers. After Ford signed a deal with Tesla to access its charging network, nearly all carmakers in North America joined the network, making Tesla’s Supercharging network the new standard.
“When we announced Ford EVs would et access to Tesla Superchargers, I said we’d send customers a Fast Charging Adapter. I’m please to confirm that eligible #MustangMachE & #F150Lightning owners in the U.S. + Canada can reserve a complimentary adapter starting soon,” announced Farley. Eligible owners can receive the free adapters as early as Spring 2024.
“Ford wants to make charging more convenient for our customers, and we are adding Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada to our growing BlueOval Charge Network, which more than doubles the numbers of fast chargers available to Ford EV drivers,” the automaker said.