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Tesla Hires Audi Exec to Head Production
Tesla Motors Inc. has hired Peter Hochholdinger, former senior production director at Audi AG, to lead the company's goal of hiking output of its electric cars nearly 10-fold by 2018.
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Tesla Motors Inc. has hired Peter Hochholdinger, former senior production director at Audi AG, to lead the company’s goal of hiking output of its electric cars nearly 10-fold by 2018. He replaces Greg Reichow, who quit in early May as vice president of production.
The company currently assembles Model S sedans and Model X crossovers. It plans to add the much higher-volume Model 3 EV at the end of next year.
Last year Tesla sold 50,700 EVs. CEO Elon Musk startled investors in mid-May by declaring the company aims to build 500,000 EVs in 2018. He also says the company’s annual production may hit 1 million units by 2020. Many observers describe both goals as extremely optimistic.
At Audi, Hochholdinger was responsible for producing roughly 400,000 cars per year. He led the production launches of the brand’s conventionally powered A4 and A5 sedans and Q5 crossover vehicle. He also advised Audi on the $1.2 billion assembly plant the company plans to open later this year in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico. The facility will build Audi’s next-generation Q5.
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