Waymo CEO John Krafcik steps down

A middle-aged man sits on a stage during a presentation.

Enlarge / Waymo CEO John Krafcik in 2017. (credit score: Misha Friedman/Bloomberg through Getty Pictures)

John Krafcik, the previous auto business exec who took over Google’s self-driving automobile challenge in 2015, is stepping down as CEO of Waymo. Waymo, which spun off as a separate Alphabet subsidiary in 2016, achieved lots throughout Krafcik’s 5.5-year tenure. Nonetheless, Krafcik failed to satisfy the lofty expectations he confronted when he took the helm.

Till 2015, the Google self-driving automobile challenge was led by engineer Chris Urmson. At that time, Google CEO Larry Web page believed the expertise was practically prepared for commercialization, so he employed a automobile man—Krafcik—to handle the practicalities of turning the expertise right into a transport product.

Krafcik spent his first few years negotiating partnerships with automakers. Talks over a possible partnership with Ford fell aside in early 2016. Krafcik then inked a smaller take care of Fiat Chrysler to purchase 100 hybrid Pacifica Minivans—a deal that was later expanded to 500 minivans.

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