After a day of rumours and reports about the future of Tesla, the company has finally released an official statement. Via the company blog (this is a cutting edge company don’t forget) the new CEO Elon Musk has introduced himself.
It seems he will have to work fast to turn-around the firm – he’s the fourth CEO in 12 months – but has blamed the carmaker’s problems on the global economic crisis. Reports in the US suggested half the workforce are now out of a job but Musk claims there has been a ‘modest reduction in near term headcount’.
'To be clear, this doesn’t mean that the people that depart Tesla for this reason wouldn’t be considered good performers at most companies – almost all would,’ he said. ‘However, I believe Tesla must adhere more closely to a special forces philosophy at this stage of its life if we aspire to become one of the great car companies of the 21st century.’
Previous CEO Ze’ev Drori will stay on the board of directors as vice-chairman and continue to help Tesla make decisions. The company has identified two key parts to its business - the Roadster and powertrain sales to other car companies – and these will be its priorities. Unfortunately this means the ‘Model S’, a larger electric car, will now be delayed by six months to mid-2011.
Despite tough times Musk remains positive: ‘The Tesla investors and I are unequivocally dedicated to ensuring the success of Tesla. If you have bought a car from Tesla or are thinking of doing so, please know that I personally stand behind delivering a product that you will love and continuing to develop new models in the future. We are not far from being cash flow positive, but, even if that threshold ends up being further than expected, I will do whatever is needed to ensure that Tesla has more than sufficient capital to get there.’
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