Report: Lior Ron is leaving Uber as it investigates self-driving crash

28 Mar Report: Lior Ron is leaving Uber as it investigates self-driving crash

Lior Ron, cofounder of Uber’s self-driving truck company Otto, is leaving Uber, several news outlets are reporting. Ron was also working on Uber’s Freight platform.

The pending departure comes as Uber grapples with a fatal accident in Arizona involving one of its self-driving cars, an incident that grounded its autonomous efforts. Uber was running self-driving tests in the state with both sedans and trucks. The company had recently made public some test cargo runs that its trucks were making via the Freight platform.

A report from the New York Times last week revealed that Uber was having trouble reducing disengagements. The accident marks a serious setback for Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, who is trying to turn the company around after a year of controversy.

But it’s not only Uber that will likely be affected by the accident. Regulators will now face pressure to ensure that autonomous cars are being tested safely.

I reached out to Uber for comment and will update this story if I hear back.

Source: Fast Company