As part of a restructuring exercise, Aurora, the Pittsburgh-based autonomous vehicle company, has decided to go for significant job reductions. As per media reports on 25 January, the company cut three per cent of its workforce.
In media statements, the company explained that the restructuring aimed to enhance efficiency and momentum toward its ambitious goals. The strategic adjustments affected a limited number of roles.
The company boasts of a workforce of around 1,800 employees by the close of 2023.
Aurora is currently developing the technology that will drive forthcoming self-driving trucks. The company has also established partnerships with Continental AG and Volvo and aims to roll out its initial fleet of autonomous trucks on the roads later this year.
Earlier, in the current month, the company announced the completion of the design and architecture of the hardware for the Aurora Driver autonomous driving system. This hardware is set to be manufactured by Continental in 2027.
Founded in 2017 by former employees of Tesla, Uber and Waymo, Aurora went public to secure essential funding for the commercialisation of their cutting-edge technology. In 2021, Aurora became a publicly-traded entity following a merger with a special purpose acquisition company initiated by Reid Hoffman, co-founder and investor, LinkedIn, Mark Pincus, founder of Zynga, and Michael Thompson, a managing partner.
Meanwhile, Vroom, a prominent US-based e-commerce platform for buying and selling used vehicles, has declared the discontinuation of its e-commerce operations and the winding down of its used vehicle dealership business. This strategic move is aimed at preserving liquidity and maximising stakeholder value through its remaining business ventures. As part of this plan, approximately 800 employees, constituting about 90 per cent of the total workforce, are expected to be laid off.