TuSimple co-founder Xiaodi Hou has refuted allegations from senior management that he was making an attempt to poach employees for his new firm. In a LinkedIn publish, Hou stated that he resigned from TuSimple’s board final week on account of disagreements about CEO Cheng Lu’s compensation package deal, in addition to the corporate’s shift from Degree 4 autonomy to Degree 2 autonomy.
“I imagine that the so-called investigation was retaliation instigated by TuSimple’s Chairman and CEO in response to my disagreements over a number of choices,” wrote Hou in a LinkedIn publish.
Hou instructed TechCrunch that he has not begun one other enterprise, implying that it’s illogical to accuse him of poaching employees.
“I’m often approached by present TuSimple workers who’re dissatisfied with the present management and route of the corporate,” wrote Hou in an announcement. “They arrive to me as a result of we have been a household, and we nonetheless are. Over the previous few months, many workers reached out to me for my recommendation about their careers and the modifications on the firm. Many requested about my very own plans. In each engagement, I stayed true to my tasks and duties as a director.”
Hou went on to accuse TuSimple’s administration of cornering, harassing and threatening sure workers in the middle of their investigations.
Hou stated his resignation was fueled partly by his rejection of present CEO Cheng Lu’s “profitable” compensation package deal, which was awarded to the chief inside days of layoffs that wiped 25% of the corporate’s workforce.
Based on a submitting, Lu will get an annual base wage of $450,000, a goal annual bonus of round $400,000 and a month-to-month housing allowance of $9,000. If Lu is fired with out trigger, or if there’s a change in charge of the corporate (like if the corporate is bought), Lu will get $15 million.
Lu’s compensation and severance package deal was agreed upon on December 14, 2022, in response to filings. Lu, Hou and Chen have been the one remaining board members on the time after they’d beforehand fired everybody else. A supply accustomed to the matter asserted that Lu and Chen modified the corporate’s governance in a method that will enable them to avoid Hou’s vote in opposition to Lu’s compensation package deal. The corporate’s new board members, Wendy Hayes and Michael Mosier, joined the board the subsequent day. We’ve reached out to TuSimple for touch upon the supply’s declare.
Hou additionally stated he was brazenly vital of TuSimple’s “determination to shift the main focus from stage 4 autonomous driving to stage 2 assisted driving.”
Degree 4 autonomy means the system can drive itself with out requiring a human to takeover inside a set of particular circumstances — like a geofenced space. Degree 2, or superior driver help methods (ADAS), can carry out some automated duties like lane help, cruise management or emergency braking, however they require the human driver to take care of a lot of the management over the automobile.
TuSimple has not publicly introduced any intention to shift from Degree 4 to Degree 2, however doing so would fully change the corporate’s enterprise mannequin.
In December, TuSimple’s cope with Navistar to collectively develop and produce purpose-built autonomous semi vans by 2024 fell via, leaving TuSimple and not using a clear route for commercialization.
Lu denied to TechCrunch that TuSimple is planning to shift its focus away from L4. He stated the corporate will quickly announce its progress on its autonomous area controller, which has the power to assist L2 options. Lu additionally pointed to TuSimple’s Might 2022 analyst day presentation which outlined the corporate’s objective to provide L2+ ADAS in partnership with Nvidia. He reiterated that TuSimple continues to be very a lot specializing in L4.
