Microsoft Faces $800M Charge and 9-Cent EPS Dip from Cruise Shutdown; Tesla Loses Autopilot Chief to Zoox

Microsoft is set to incur an $800 million charge due to the shutdown of Cruise, a robotaxi service. This financial impact will affect its earnings per share for the December quarter, with an estimated 9-cent dip in EPS. The closure of Cruise also reduces competition in the autonomous vehicle sector, leaving companies like Waymo, Zoox, and Tesla with fewer rivals in the pursuit of driverless technology. Meanwhile, Tesla has lost its head of Autopilot hardware engineering to Zoox, an Amazon-backed robotaxi competitor, indicating a shift in talent within the industry. The Cybertruck may also see production shifts, potentially moving to China, as Tesla navigates its future strategy amidst these changes.