A former Tesla executive has gone to work for rival electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian, dealing a blow to Elon Musk's company's much-awaited Cybertruck.
Mustapha El Akkari, who worked as group manager for commodities for Tesla, was crucial to Cybertruck and other Tesla cars' supply chain management, Gizmodo reported. A substantial setback for Tesla is said to have resulted from his transfer to Rivian as the senior director for structures and raw materials.
Tesla's Cybertruck faces direct competition from Rivian's already-available R1T pickup. The e-vehicle manufacturer still has to respond to requests for comment on the issue.
El Akkari's departure occurs at a crucial moment for the Tesla Cybertruck, which has seen several delays while being led by Elon Musk, renowned for often missing deadlines. However, according to the tech mogul, manufacturing is set in the third quarter of 2023.
Rivian has hired other former Tesla executives besides El Akkari. Nick Kalayjian, a former vice president of engineering with over 10 years of experience at Tesla, and Charly Mwangi, previously a senior director of engineering at Tesla, have both made the move. Rivian no longer employs Mwangi, although Kalayjian is the company's new chief product development officer.
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Tesla Cybertruck Production May Begin Later This Year
Even though Tesla intends to have a Cybertruck delivery event later this year and start manufacturing in the summer, Musk had said in April that volume production won't begin until 2024. Musk blames the delay on the Cybertruck's challenging production process and highlights how innovative it is compared to conventional cars, per US Times Post.
Elon Musk keeps calling the Cybertruck an "incredible product" with distinctive qualities, but many specifics regarding its potential are still unknown. The Cybertruck, per Musk, would be "waterproof enough" to serve as a boat, and traverse rivers, lakes, and even calm seas.
Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat, so it can cross rivers, lakes & even seas that aren’t too choppy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 29, 2022
Meanwhile, a Rivian R1T electric pickup vehicle burst into flames while charging at a California Electrify America station, per Electrek.
Investigations are being conducted to determine the incident's origin at Electrify America station in Mill Valley, California.
Although electric car fire rates are lower than gasoline-powered vehicles, events like this serve as a warning that electric vehicle fires may happen and that battery-related problems sometimes lead to recalls.
