According to people who are familiar with the situation, Tom Zhu, Tesla’s global vice president and CEO for the Greater China region, assumed responsibility for sales, service, and deliveries in North America. The publication noted that Zhu has been added to the North American sales service and delivery organization chart, despite the fact that his title remains vice president in charge of Asia/Pacific.
Zhu, a veteran at Tesla who joined the electric vehicle manufacturer in 2014, was in charge of Gigafactory Shanghai’s construction and operation. Through Zhu’s leadership, Tesla has grown in China from the construction of Gigafactory Shanghai to its position as a significant export hub. He has assisted Tesla in expanding its Supercharger network, and earlier reports from China indicated that he was tasked with overseeing the company’s operations in Asia and the Pacific.
In August, Tesla saw the production of its one millionth made-in-China electric vehicle, which occurred shortly after Teslarati reported on a significant shipment of vehicles that Tesla China was preparing to ship.
In October, Tesla delivered 71,704 vehicles in China, which was undeniably lower than the record it set in September with 83,135 conveyances. Tesla China shipped more than 100,000 vehicles in November.
Zhu was reportedly with a Chinese engineering team in December at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Texas to assist with the ramp-up of Tesla’s newest Gigafactory. Zhu went on the trip with a group that included Song Gang, employees of Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory. manager for Tesla’s Texas and California plants.
According to information provided by a Chinese company called Qichacha, Zhu was still the chairman of Tesla Shanghai Co. Ltd., despite no longer being the company’s legal representative. The position was filled by Tesla China general manager Wang Hao. According to unnamed sources, a Chinese tech publication called PingWest claimed that Zhu would take over for Elon Musk as CEO.
It is important to note that PingWest was found guilty of spreading false information about Tesla in China, despite the fact that that report was widely circulated. Public confession and financial retribution were required of the publication. Whether Elon Musk intends to make Zhu his substitution is not yet clear.
However, a member of Tesla’s board of directors testified that the CEO had identified a potential successor in recent months. Elon Musk stated in a May interview with Financial Times that he would remain with Tesla “as long as I can be useful.”