This week, the San Francisco Giants bid farewell to a uniform patch featuring Cruise and its autonomous taxis, marking the latest development in the saga surrounding the GM self-driving subsidiary’s controversial presence in the city.
The marketing collaboration, unveiled in August 2023, will persist but with a different GM brand. For the 2024 baseball season, SF Giants jerseys will sport the Chevrolet emblem, with the letters “EV” highlighted in vibrant orange. Chevrolet’s electric vehicle lineup encompasses models such as the Chevy Blazer EV, the forthcoming Equinox, and the Chevy Silverado EV. Notably, the automaker halted production of the Chevy Bolt and Chevy Bolt EUV and suspended sales of the Chevy Blazer EV due to a software glitch affecting the infotainment system.
The alteration to the uniform patch follows months after San Francisco-headquartered Cruise forfeited its commercial permit for operating robotaxis in the city, prompted by an October incident involving a pedestrian trapped beneath one of its autonomous vehicles. Subsequently, Cruise’s co-founder and CEO Kyle Vogt resigned, layoffs affected 24% of its workforce, and investigations by the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission ensued. GM has been actively reshuffling leadership to steer Cruise back on course.
“As we approach the 2024 baseball season, Cruise is shifting our collaboration with the Giants, including our status as the official uniform patch partner, to Chevrolet, maintaining our connection within the GM family,” a Cruise spokesperson stated via email. “In line with our mission to offer safe, dependable, and accessible transportation, Cruise remains committed, alongside the Giants, to deploying hundreds of electric vehicle chargers in ballpark parking facilities for patrons and the community.”
A spokesperson representing the San Francisco Giants described the transition as a “logical step” mutually agreed upon. When questioned about Cruise’s potential return to the uniform patch in 2025, the spokesperson indicated uncertainty, stating, “We cannot confirm at this juncture.”
“This shift also presents a valuable opportunity for Chevrolet, given their extensive history of MLB support as the official auto sponsor and sponsor of 14 teams over the past two decades,” remarked the San Francisco Giants spokesperson.
Under the original agreement, Cruise had pledged to install over 100 electric vehicle chargers in Oracle Park parking facilities.
While selling advertising space on athletes’ uniforms is common in certain sports, it remains relatively novel in Major League Baseball. At the outset of the 2023 season, seven of the league’s 30 teams embraced sponsorships, including the San Francisco Giants.
