Tesla Loses Two Model S Executives Before Sedan Makes Debut

[Cobos]

Assuming the disagreement angle could it actually be that the disagreement was on the Bluestar? I'm guessing as they will announce the design of the Model X in a month and HAVE shown it to some investors already mostly any important chassis construction decisions must have been locked down?
The Bluestar on the other hand is still very much up in the air. Elon might have gone for steel instead of aluminum and Rawlinson wanted aluminum, or Rawlinson thought aluminum was not possible with intended price tag and hence his expertise is not needed any longer? I don't know of course just speculating wildly, though I guess as a Brit, the long travel might be an important factor. He is the right age to have a frail parent or sibling or some such that he might want to spend more time with - thus personal reasons.

Cobos

 

[Robert.Boston]

Maybe, Cobos, and I know you're keen to get Bluestar underway. But my sense is that Tesla moves in a very deliberate and disciplined way from one project to the next. Between a "reveal" and a beta is where all the heavy-lifting engineering occurs. The reveal is largely in the hands of the car designer (Straubel's team); from beta to build, largely the production team. So, the engineering team's focus is now on the Model X, not Bluestar.

{This is, of course, my speculation entirely, and assumes arguendo that Rawlinson and/or Thompson left over professional disagreements. I think it more likely that Rawlinson simply was exhausted by the Model S push and realized he didn't have another car, and another year away from the UK, in him.}

 

[Cobos]

As a smalltime investor in Tesla I of course want the Bluestar, but my interest has always been the Model S. I did put down the deposit July 2009 after all. I'm more curious as to when such a decision as to what material to use for the chassis or broadly how the chassis is designed gets settled? Assuming deliveries of the Model X in Q4 2013, when do they HAVE to decide on things like major chassis design?

Cobos

 

[Eberhard]

I'll eat my hat and YouTube it if it has anything to do with three phase support

Yes, it has something to do with 3-phase charging. If they had faced the same stubborn attitude of their bosses as we do with three phase charging then we wouldn't have wondered.

 

[AnOutsider]

Guess I'd better buy a tasty hat.

Sent from my HTC Arrive using Board Express

 

[Lloyd]

Guess I'd better buy a tasty hat.

Suggestions:

Or this:

 

[heems]

My 2c - the execs left because the S is having issues. They didn't think the (mid year) deadline was achievable given the number of problems still to be resolved in the S. So either of their own volition or Elon's desire to get rid of nay sayers on the team (aka cancer) they are parting ways. Each of us (reservation holders) will probably now have to contend with the deadline pushing back or an inferior product delivered on time. That's what the investors are smelling too...

 

[JRP3]

That may be what investors think they are smelling but I'm guessing there is nothing to smell. The fact that two people left the company around the same time would be meaningless for almost any other company.

 

[rsquared99]

The Model S must still be going through the crash testing for real now, right? So, it's still possible for some test results to have caused problems with areas these guys were responsible for. Just pointing out that all of this speculation is just that. Or, maybe they wanted tea served in the conference room and Elon insisted on coffee.

 

[Todd Burch]

All of this speculation reminds me of the 24 hour news cycle...

 

[Robert.Boston]

For me, the most troubling info was that pic of the "Denali" conference room photoshopped to "Denial".

 

[gg_got_a_tesla]

For me, the most troubling info was that pic of the "Denali" conference room photoshopped to "Denial".

That was no photoshop job. That was a twitpic from a tweet by Elon Musk a couple of days ago, all in jest.

Twitter

 

[ckessel]

That was no photoshop job. That was a twitpic from a tweet by Elon Musk a couple of days ago, all in jest.

Twitter

Yea, it's sort of a sophomoric passive-aggresssive thing that concerning. When communication breaks down, people start taking little shots like that at each other rather than just hashing it out honestly. Elon doesn't exactly have a good history of calm, composed relationships. I really hope this all blows over, but it's the sort of thing that has potential to explode if it's not diffused.

 

[JRP3]

What exactly needs to be diffused? Maybe they were mad about this :wink:

Model S Performance powertrain produced so much torque today that we broke the dyno. 4.4 sec 0-60 mph will not be a problem.

 

[ckessel]

What exactly needs to be diffused?

I supposed that's the big question. The denial thing though is just a lame action. Why would you do that? Because you're feeling someone (or multiple someones) is in denial. You make a snide little jab like that when it didn't get resolved, not when it's been successfully hashed out. You think the other guy, an executive, is going to look at that and go "Oh, good one sir, well played."? No, they're going to be annoyed. Then when they see you put in on twitter? Yea, way the hell beyond annoyed. Most executives have pretty big egos for better or worse.

I've seen this kind of stuff in cubicle world. Someone will make a "joke" by covering someone else's name plate with some similar snide thing. I've seen HR have to get involved as retaliations come in. Morale goes down the shitter as the whole group is affected by the dysfunctional relationship.

It's a lot to read into a simple picture and there's a good chance it's not going that route, but it's something I've seen before (granted, not at the executive level, but I'm not an executive) so it bothers me. It smacks of "I know you are, but what am I?" levels of maturity.

 

[JRP3]

It's a lot to read into a simple picture and there's a good chance it's not going that route, but it's something I've seen before (granted, not at the executive level, but I'm not an executive) so it bothers me. It smacks of "I know you are, but what am I?" levels of maturity.

I hope people at Tesla have a better sense of humor than that.

 

[ckessel]

I hope people at Tesla have a better sense of humor than that.

Me too, but human nature being what it is, sense of humor goes out the window when you're already upset with someone. The time to crack a joke at someone's expense is NOT when you're already in conflict.

 

[extesla]

Rawlinson will be missed for his technical knowledge and drive. He will not be missed for his dictatorial ways and his petulance. Sampson was just a bag carrier for Rawlinson and will not be missed on any level.

 

[JRP3]

So you know these two individuals?

 

[AnOutsider]

I think first the stock market made a bigger deal of this than it was, and now it's happening here. I see nothing malicious in that tweet, perhaps I'm just not of that mindset. I also see nothing in the herding cats video he posted either. I think we might have too much time on our hands here.

In all of this, why hasn't anyone speculated about the other guy leaving? Tesla gave a reason for Rawlinson's departure (whether you believe it or not), but not the other guy? If anything, wouldn't that be something more to grasp onto? Personally, I bet he just wasn't important enough for tesla to feel they had to head off any questions like this, but still, if you're going to speculate, there's more to work with there.

Rawlinson will be missed for his technical knowledge and drive. He will not be missed for his dictatorial ways and his petulance. Sampson was just a bag carrier for Rawlinson and will not be missed on any level.

Your name and demeanor now makes more sense.