Tesla has misplaced two of its high automotive designers, together with a founding member of its design studio, amid a broader expertise exodus.
After just a few years designing idea vehicles for GM, David Imai joined Tesla in 2011, when the automaker was a little-known California firm making an attempt to ramp up manufacturing of the Roadster and produce Mannequin S, its first EV constructed from the bottom up, to manufacturing.
He shortly turned Tesla’s supervisor of exterior and inside design.
Imai was promoted to “Director of Design” in 2019. He has been credited for a number of design elements of the Mannequin 3. Together with Bernard Lee and Franz Von Holzhausen, he was one in every of Tesla’s earliest and longest standing automotive designer.
Earlier this month, Imai confirmed that he has left his position at Tesla to affix Arc, a producer of electrical boats. He introduced on LinkedIn:
I’m happy to announce that I’ll be becoming a member of Arc Boats later this month as Chief Designer. On this new position, I hope to convey my expertise, management, and fervour for design to assist Arc attain new horizons.
Wanting into Tesla’s design group, Electrek additionally discovered that one other high Tesla automotive designer whose departure from Tesla went unreported.
Bernard Lee got here to Tesla from Mazda together with Franz von Holzhausen, Tesla’s chief designer, again in 2008. Together with von Holzhausen, he was one of many founding members of Tesla’s design studio.
His first tenure at Tesla lasted a decade throughout which he was credited as lead and supporting designer of many Tesla automobiles:
- 2017 Supporting Exterior Designer 2nd Gen Tesla Roadster
- 2017 Precept Exterior Designer of Mannequin 3 Last Manufacturing
- 2016 Precept Exterior Designer of Mannequin S 2016 Manufacturing Refresh
- 2016 Precept Exterior Designer of Mannequin 3 Prototype
- 2015 Precept Exterior Designer of Mannequin X Last Manufacturing
- 2012 Precept Exterior Designer of Mannequin X Prototype
- 2012 Supporting Exterior Designer of Mannequin S Last Manufacturing
- 2009 Supporting Inside Designer of Mannequin S Prototype
He briefly left in 2018 to show on the Artwork Middle School of Design in California, the place many Tesla automotive designers come from, however he got here again in 2020.
Lee was then credited with a number of extra designs at Tesla following his return:
- 2024 Senior Exterior Design Supervisor Cyber Cab Demo and Manufacturing car
- 2024 Senior Exterior Supervisor Mannequin 3 (highland) Commonplace and Efficiency
- 2021 Senior Exterior Design Supervisor Mannequin X refresh
We now be taught that Lee has additionally left Tesla. He up to date his LinkedIn profile to substantiate he left in November 2024, however his departure wasn’t reported till now.
Electrek’s Take
Congrats to each Imai and Lee who’re answerable for, for my part, some nice designs that helped the electrical revolution.
At a time when automakers had been typically producing bizarre designs for electrical automobiles that felt like they didn’t need to promote, Imai, Lee, and their group produced contemporary but easy designs which might be nonetheless stunning 10 years later.
Tesla nonetheless has a number of proficient automotive designers on its workers, nevertheless it’s definitely going to harm to have two of Tesla’s high automotive designers leaving within the area of some months.
It’s additionally occurring amid a broader exodus of expertise at Tesla that has been going for a yr since a wave of layoffs final yr harm ethical on the firm.
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