Tesla has a new number two in the form of Tom Zhu, who has been with it since 2014 and worked most recently as its vice president for Greater China. The Chinese-born executive will now be tasked with direct oversight of the company’s assembly plants and sales operations.
Reuters cites an internal posting, whose authenticity was confirmed by employees, that showed that Tesla’s regional and national heads of operations will all report to Zhu. His duties do not, however, include design or development of new vehicles, areas that CEO Elon Musk has historically shown an interest in.
In December, Zhu flew to Austin, Texas, to tour Tesla’s Gigafactory there and help troubleshoot production issues. The plant is also the home of Tesla’s headquarters, which were moved out of California shortly after Musk moved to the state.
More: Elon Musk Taps Tesla’s China Chief To Help Ramp Up Texas Gigafactory
It is unclear if Zhu will work from the U.S. or China, but he will retain his title as vice president of Greater China. In that role, he oversaw the ramp up of Tesla‘s Shanghai Gigafactory, and helped the plant recover after strict COVID-19 measures were put in place, going so far as to sleep in the factory with workers.
He will be taking charge of the company’s global production at a time when there’s a lot to do, though. The automaker’s factory in Berlin is still ramping up, production of its all-electric Semi truck has begun, and the Cybertruck must soon be put into mass production, after years of delays.
In addition, the automaker is in the midst of giving the Model 3 sedan a much-anticipated update, and developing a smaller, more affordable EV that has long been promised, though no details have been shared about timelines for production, or even introduction of that vehicle. That’s to say nothing of the Tesla Roadster, which was unveiled in 2019. Although Zhu won’t be tasked with overseeing all of that, getting production and sales running smoothly will be essential for the future of the company.
His appointment comes at a time when Tesla’s stock price is tanking as a result of Musk’s divided attentions. Since taking over at Twitter, and continuing his roles at Tesla, SpaceX, and The Boring Company, investors have urged Musk to increase his focus on the automotive company that’s at the center of his empire. Putting a stalwart manager in charge of production and sales may help appease some investors.
