The San Francisco Giants stated goodbye this week to a uniform patch that marketed Cruise and its robotaxis — the newest fallout for the GM self-driving subsidiary and its controversial presence within the metropolis.
The advertising partnership, which was announced in August 2023, will proceed, however with one other GM model. For the 2024 baseball season, SF Giants uniforms will present the Chevrolet emblem with the “EV” in bolded orange. Chevrolet’s all-electric automobile portfolio together with the Chevy Blazer EV, the upcoming Equinox and the Chevy Silverado EV. The automaker not too long ago stopped making the Chevy Bolt and Chevy Bolt EUV and paused gross sales of the Chevy Blazer EV over a software program downside that impacts the infotainment system.
The uniform patch change comes a number of months after San Francisco-based Cruise misplaced its industrial allow to function robotaxis within the metropolis following an October incident that left a pedestrian caught below, after which dragged, by certainly one of its self-driving automobiles. Within the months since, Cruise co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt resigned, 24% of its staff have been laid off, the Division of Justice and Securities and Alternate Fee have opened up investigations and GM has scrambled to place the corporate again on monitor with new leadership.
“As the 2024 baseball season approaches, Cruise is transitioning our Giants marketing partnership, including rights as the official uniform patch partner, to Chevrolet – keeping it in the GM family,” an emailed assertion from a Cruise spokesperson reads. “In keeping with our mission to provide safe, reliable, accessible transportation, Cruise remains invested in its shared commitment with the Giants to develop hundreds of electric vehicle chargers in ballpark parking facilities for event-goers and the public.”
A spokesperson with the San Francisco Giants stated it was a “natural transition to make and was decided by all parties.” When requested if Cruise would return to the uniform patch in 2025, the spokesperson stated “we do not know at this time.”
“It’s also a good opportunity for Chevrolet, as they have a longstanding history of supporting MLB as the official auto sponsor of the MLB and sponsor of 14 teams in the last 20 years,” the San Francisco Giants spokesperson stated. “Meanwhile, Cruise remains invested in its shared investment with the Giants to develop hundreds of electric vehicle chargers in ballpark parking facilities for event-goers and the public.”
As a part of the unique deal, Cruise had agreed to put in greater than 100 electrical automobile chargers in Oracle Park parking amenities.
As TechCrunch famous again final June, promoting advert house on the uniforms worn by skilled athletes is widespread observe in some sports activities. But it surely’s a more moderen phenomenon in Main League Baseball. The start of the 2023 season noticed seven of the league’s 30 groups promoting sponsorships, together with the San Francisco Giants.
