GM’s Kruse cruises out the door

A key member of General Motor’s Co.’s electric vehicle program resigned to start an independent consulting firm, the company confirmed Wednesday.

Bob Kruse, GM’s executive director of global vehicle engineering for hybrids, electric vehicles, and batteries, is leaving effective Wednesday, The Detroit News reported.

My departure from General Motors has nothing to do with my view of the future success for the (GM’s) Volt, Kruse told the News. I’ve left on very good terms.

There’s no good time to lose good people. But that said, the Volt team goes way beyond one person, said GM spokesman Rob Peterson.

GM said it would replace Kruse with Micky Bly, currently director of engineering for Hybrid Vehicle Integration.

Kruse said he formed EV Consulting a week after Vice President Joe Biden announced on Aug. 5 that Michigan automakers were on line for up to $1.3 billion in federal grants to help the industry move forward with alternative fueled car production.

You can’t blame the guy. What is the prospect of ever making serious money … working for a ward of the government? said Joe Phillippi of Auto Trends Consulting Inc.

Kruse said, I’m not going to lie. Are they happy about my departure? Probably not.