GM will lay off 1,000 salaried employees from its global workforce on Monday, CNBC reported todayThe cuts will affect the automaker's software and services division, including about 600 employees working at GM's technology campus near Detroit.
In an email to The edgeGM spokesman Kevin Kelly said that as the company builds its future, it needs to “simplify for speed and excellence, make bold decisions and prioritize investments that will have the greatest impact,” including laying off “certain teams” in the software and services organization.
The division is led by GM executives Baris Cetinok and Dave Richardson, who replaced executive vice president of software and former Apple executive Mike Abbot. Abbot joined GM in May 2023 but left the company in March for health reasons.
The software and services division includes teams working on the vehicle's infotainment system and OnStar services. Richardson, senior vice president of software and services engineering, oversees other parts of the division working on GM's Super Cruise advanced driver-assistance system, integrated platforms, digital products and business solutions, according to CNBC.
GM has recently had to deal with major software issues in the new Chevrolet Blazer EV, with customers reporting blank infotainment screens and charging error messages. GM issued a stop-sales order last December citing the software issues, which was eventually lifted. This past March.
The timing of the Blazer EV sales suspension drama was not ideal. GM has been working to introduce its Android-based infotainment system in vehicles as a viable alternative to popular phone-based video projection systems such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is disabled in the automaker’s EV lineup.
