Tesla is always fighting for market share with their aggressive price cuts, and China has been a major driving force behind this. However, with domestic carmakers gradually catching up Tesla may find its marketshare shrink significantly in the coming years.
It has been reported that Tom Zhu, the executive behind Tesla’s rise in China, is quickly climbing through the company’s corporate ladder. Zhu began serving as the senior vice president of Tesla’s automotive unit in April and his appointment makes him one of the four most important faces at the electric vehicle powerhouse alongside CEO Elon Musk, CFO Zachary Kirkhorn and Andrew Baglino, SVP of powertrain and energy engineering. Zhu is reportedly aggressive in negotiations with government officials and he seems poised to lead Tesla into a more significant market presence in China over time.
Zhu’s appointment as Vice President of Greater China seemed like an odd move at the time, as Tesla was just starting to ramp up production in that area. Tesla insists that his experience in China and overseeing the construction and operations of Gigafactory Shanghai made him uniquely suited for the job, but some doubt this assertion. Some suggest that his promotion was a ploy by Tesla management to protect its own interests in the face of increasing competition from foreign automakers such as Nissan and Audi.
Musk credits Zhu with helping to turn Tesla’s fortunes in China. The factory’s success also builds upon Musk’s overall mission of getting more people on the electric grid.
