Tesla’s key managers in China

Tesla Inc has tapped China chief Tom Zhu to troubleshoot manufacturing engineering challenges in the US, in accordance with two folks with information of the matter.

They’re engaged on upcoming initiatives, together with the Cybertruck, the folks mentioned, including that Zhu’s colleagues in China consider he’s being groomed for an even bigger function at a time when CEO Elon Musk is searching for to overtake Twitter.

Here’s a take a look at Zhu and different key China managers who’ve helped Tesla’s Shanghai manufacturing unit roar again from lockdowns to convey the electrical car maker near its international development targets for the 12 months.

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TOM ZHU

Zhu, who was born in China however now holds a New Zealand passport, joined Tesla in 2014. Earlier than that he was a undertaking supervisor at an organization established by his MBA classmates at Duke College, advising Chinese language contractors engaged on abroad infrastructure initiatives.

Zhu was overseeing initiatives for Kaibo Engineering in Libya and Sudan when he was launched to Cal Lankton, then director of world EV charging infrastructure at Tesla. Lankton later employed Zhu to take cost of Tesla’s charging facility building in China, in accordance with one of many individuals who is near Zhu.

The folks weren’t approved to talk to media and declined to be recognized. Zhu couldn’t be reached for remark and Telsa didn’t reply to requests for remark.

Zhu took over as China nation supervisor for Tesla at finish 2014, when gross sales of the Mannequin S had been declining on the planet’s largest auto market.

Below Zhu, Tesla vehicles had been exempted from site visitors restriction guidelines in main cities similar to Beijing and the automaker launched an adapter so the vehicles might be charged utilizing a revamped Chinese language charging customary. The strikes boosted Tesla’s gross sales in China, and its income from China greater than tripled in 2016 from 2015.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – OCTOBER 22: Aerial view of Tesla Shanghai Gigafactory at night time on October 22, 2021 in Shanghai, China. Tesla on Monday introduced the completion of its R&D innovation middle and Gigafactory knowledge middle in Shanghai. (Picture by VCG/ (Getty Pictures)

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Throughout Shanghai’s two-month COVID lockdown, Zhu was among the many first batch of staff sleeping within the manufacturing unit as they sought to maintain it operating, individuals who work with him mentioned.

After 22 days of shutdown, the Shanghai plant resumed partial manufacturing with a “closed loop” system the place 1000’s of staff and suppliers lived and labored within the manufacturing unit for weeks.

Zhu, a no-fuss supervisor who sports activities a buzz lower, favors Tesla-branded fleece jackets and lives in a government-subsidized condominium that may be a 10-minute drive from the Shanghai Gigafactory.

When Tesla posted an image on Twitter final week to rejoice its Austin, Texas plant hitting a manufacturing milestone, Zhu was amongst tons of of staff smiling on the manufacturing unit flooring.

A basic view of building website of the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, U.S., October 25, 2021. Image taken with a drone. REUTERS/Mike Blake (Reuters)

ALLAN WANG

Allan Wang was promoted to vp accountable for gross sales and supply in China in July, in accordance with his Linkedin profile. Since November, Tesla has been providing incentives and reductions to patrons in its second-largest market. Wang, who joined Tesla in 2014, labored for Apple and AMD beforehand.

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SONG GANG

Track Gang has been plant supervisor of Giga Shanghai since 2018. He was a long-time undertaking engineer at Normal Motors and Ford Motor Co earlier than shifting to supervise manufacturing for Zhidou, an EV startup, in 2015. Track has been among the many Tesla executives who’ve been touring with Zhu.