Loosen the reins a bit to regain confidence in Tesla? While the manufacturer has been heavily disrupted in the stock market for a year now, Elon Musk appears to have decided to delegate within the Californian manufacturer to revive the (cash) machine. According to various US media, the president of Tesla China, Tom Zhu, will assume much greater responsibilities within the group.
According to Electrek, Tom Zhu would have already taken care of sales, services and deliveries across the Atlantic. An internal document consulted by Reuters also announces that US factories, including Fremont, the group’s parent factory, will also be under his responsibility. Reached by BFM Business, Tesla did not comment on this information.
Superchargers at the Shanghai factory
If confirmed, this rise in the Tesla organization chart makes Tom Zhu the de facto number 2 of the Californian manufacturer, directly linked to Elon Musk. It remains to define the question of the distribution of roles between Tom Zhu and the billionaire. Elon Musk should keep control of the model’s strategy and design, while Tom Zhu will handle more short-term issues, including overseeing sales in major markets.
Tom Zhu has a global vision of the automaker’s business. Following an MBA from Duke University (North Carolina), he joined Tesla in 2014 to lead the Supercharger program, these fast chargers at the center of Tesla’s success. The man who often appears in a sweatshirt on behalf of the electric car brand quickly rose through the ranks, gradually assuming responsibility for the entire Asia-Pacific region. In particular, he oversaw the construction and development of the Shanghai plant, now the largest in the group. He, too, lived there for almost two months this year, with a few employees, to keep running the machines in full lockdown.
Tom Zhu is obviously familiar with American factories as well: according to Reuters, he had been commissioned last year to come with a team of collaborators to solve production problems in the United States, which was interpreted by some of his colleagues as a sign that he he was being groomed for more important tasks.
A consequence of the Twitter takeover?
The appointment of Tom Zhu could be a way for Elon Musk, dropping ballast, to restore confidence in the manufacturer. If Tesla delivered 1.313 million cars last year, 40% more than in 2021, the manufacturer missed its target set by 50% and is disrupted in the markets on Tuesday. The group’s capitalization has mainly halved in a year, with the arrival of increasingly competitive models among competitors, but above all after the takeover of Twitter, which has largely occupied Elon Musk in recent months. .
Tom Zhu’s appointment also comes as highly anticipated new models are in the works. Reuters thus recalls that the manufacturer has not yet delivered any Cybertruck, presented at the end of 2019, and would develop a small and more accessible model, intended in particular for the European market.
Source: BFM TV
