Longtime Tesla engineer David Lau, who served as the vice president of software engineering, is reportedly leaving the company after more than 12 years.
According to an April 4 Bloomberg article, Lau told others of his impending departure, but no reason for his resignation was provided to the publication at the time.
What's happening?
Lau's work at the company has been vast, including "creating firmware for the powertrain, traction and stability systems, as well as being in charge of software needs such as battery management, vehicle body control, and the user interface included for navigation, and mobile apps," per Teslarati.
Additionally, he was a staple at media events, explaining the complex features of the vehicles, the outlet reported.
Teslarati cited Lau's LinkedIn page, which did not reflect the end of his term at the carmaker as of mid-April.
Other high-level executives have also departed. For example, Petter Winberg, who left in March, was the company's principal engineer for computer-aided engineering crash safety. Winberg had been with Tesla for over 14 years, Teslarati reported separately.
The former global vehicle automation and safety policy lead and chief information officer also departed recently, per reports.
There has been a lot of turmoil surrounding the Tesla brand in recent months. Many Tesla vehicles have been vandalized. One new Tesla owner caught someone on camera picking up a concrete slab and throwing it into the rear passenger window of his car. They expected the damage to cost them $600.
Chargers have been targeted too. One owner recently drove up to a Tesla charging station and found multiple chargers damaged.
According to Reuters, Tesla dealerships and offices have also experienced protests and vandalism — reportedly in connection with CEO Elon Musk's political activities.
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Definitely 👍 Why are Tesla's leadership resignations concerning?
Multiple leadership departures from a company can be concerning. It's easy to wonder what's happening behind closed doors to make long-time employees leave. When that happens, it can contribute to consumers losing trust in a company.
In this case, the issues and vandalism surrounding Tesla could deter people from buying electric vehicles. EV adoption is crucial for reducing planet-warming gas pollution from fuel-burning cars.
Studies have shown the impact of EVs. For example, a University of California, Berkeley professor installed sensors in the San Francisco Bay Area, 57 of which recorded a 1.8% reduction in carbon dioxide pollution per year from 2018 to 2022. The researchers linked this decrease to more EVs and fewer gas-guzzlers in the area.
What's being done about EVs if Tesla is in turmoil?
Tesla isn't the only car company that sells EVs. Many established car brands offer a selection of electric vehicles, including Nissan, Volkswagen, Honda, and Ford.
So while Tesla may be under fire at the moment, you can switch to an EV from this or another brand and save around $1,500 a year on average over the gas and maintenance costs of an internal combustion vehicle.
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