EV Startup Faraday Future Loses Product Head After CEO’s Ouster

Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc.’s head of product execution, Robert Kruse, has resigned, the second top executive to depart from the troubled electric-vehicle maker in as many days.

(Bloomberg) — Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc.’s head of product execution, Robert Kruse, has resigned, the second top executive to depart from the troubled electric-vehicle maker in as many days.

Kruse, a veteran of General Motors Co. who joined Faraday in 2019, stepped down Tuesday morning, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing non-public information. He was instrumental in Faraday’s 2021 merger with a blank-check firm and in developing the performance characteristics of the startup’s electric SUV, which is still not in production.

Kruse declined to comment.

The departure comes a day after Faraday said its board removed Chief Executive Officer Carsten Breitfeld. The Los Angeles-based company, which reported just $27 million in cash as of Oct. 25, is trying to cut costs with a round of furloughs this week across multiple teams, the people said. Earlier this month it announced an equity purchase agreement to sell as much as $350 million in stock to an affiliate of Yorkville Advisors Global LP.

Faraday previously announced a companywide salary cut of at least 25% in late October. 

The startup, which is being probed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, recently agreed to a major shakeup of its board after a monthslong fight with a shareholder group associated with founder Jia Yueting.

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