UPDATE 1-Veoneer says Cummings to resign from board after NHTSA appointment

David Shepardson
·2 min read

(Adds more details, comment from agency, Cummings)

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Swedish-based automotive technology company Veoneer Inc said Missy Cummings had decided to resign from its board effective Nov. 1 after she accepted a position with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Reuters first reported last week that Cummings, a Duke University engineering and computer science professor, would being named a new senior adviser for safety at NHTSA.

Veoneer Chief Executive Jan Carlson praised Cummings' service, saying in a statement her "active participation and thoughtful guidance to the company and its board throughout her time with the board have been greatly appreciated."

Cummings said in an email Monday to Reuters she was "very grateful for my opportunity to support Veoneer's focus on safety and serve on their board. My resignation comes as a result of my recent acceptance of an advisory position at NHTSA."

NHTSA confirmed last week Cummings was being named for a "temporary assignment" under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program.

Those detailees are considered federal employees for the purposes of the Ethics in Government Act, which requires a resolution of any possible conflicts of interest before Cummings begins her assignment, the agency said.

Last week, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk wrote on Twitter: "Objectively, her track record is extremely biased against Tesla."

She responded to Musk on Twitter saying: "Happy to sit down and talk with you anytime."

Cummings has repeatedly expressed concerns about Tesla's Autopilot feature. In 2019, she wrote on Twitter: "I have driven several Teslas - autopilot easily causes mode confusion, is unreliable and unsafe @NHTSArecalls should require @tesla to turn it off."

NHTSA said last week it looks forward "to leveraging (Cummings) experience and leadership in safety and autonomous technologies."

Cummings faced intense harassment on Twitter after her appointment including from many who identified themselves as Tesla enthusiasts and her account currently does not appear active. (Reporting By David Shepardson and Johan Ahlander; editing by David Evans)

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