Faraday Future has finally confirmed rumors that YT Jia will step down as CEO of the troubled automaker.
While Jia will remain with the company, the position of CEO will be filled by Dr. Carsten Breitfeld. His name may not ring a bell, but Breitfeld spent 20 years with BMW and oversaw the i8 program.
Following his departure from BMW, Breitfeld co-founded Byton and severed as its Chairman and CEO. He eventually left that firm and landed at Iconiq Motors before becoming CEO of Faraday Future.
Also Read: Faraday Future Co-Founder Quits, Calls Company “Effectively Insolvent”
Breitfeld will now be tasked with turning the troubled company around and putting its long-delayed FF 91 into production. Besides that, he’ll “lead FF in developing industry-leading, forward-looking technology and products, enhancing organizational efficiencies and competencies, as well as accelerating ongoing fund-raising activities.” If that wasn’t enough, Breitfeld will also be responsible for managing the final development of the FF 81 which is the firm’s mass market electric vehicle.
In a statement, Breitfeld said “I am thrilled to accept the role of CEO and look forward to powering FF to its next stage of success.” He went on to say “I have been extremely impressed with the steady progress the company has made on the flagship FF 91. It was when I saw the product, the innovative technology and the many dedicated employees that make up FF that it was clear to me that FF is setting a new standard for intelligent mobility and that I needed to be a part of it.”
YT Jia, on the other hand, will become Faraday Future’s Chief Product and User Officer. While some people won’t be pleased that he’s sticking around, the company said Jia will “oversee AI, product definition, user experience and the overall implementation of the internet eco-system model.”
Unfortunately, Faraday Future didn’t give an updated timeline on when the FF 91 could go into production. It was originally slated to be launched in 2018, but has been pushed back multiple times. The latest update said the model would go into production later this year, but that seems increasingly unlikely.
