Tesla recently faced a setback as one of its top executives, Daniel Ho, made the decision to leave the company and join Waymo, just days before Tesla’s highly anticipated Robotaxi launch. Ho, who held the position of head of vehicle programs and new product integration at Tesla, has now taken on the role of programs director at Waymo.
During his time at Tesla, Ho was directly reporting to CEO Elon Musk and was responsible for overseeing the development and production ramp of popular models like the Model Y and Cybertruck. He also played a key role in launching new factories in Berlin and Texas, as well as significantly increasing production volume from 0.5M to 1.85M cars per year. Additionally, Ho laid the groundwork for Tesla’s Robotaxi project, which is set to be unveiled soon.
Joining Waymo at a critical time, Ho will be part of the team as the autonomous vehicle company introduces the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to its robotaxi lineup and prepares to scale its purpose-built Zeekr robotaxis. This move comes as a blow to Tesla, especially since another top vehicle program manager, Daniel Zhang, who worked under Ho, also recently departed from the company.
The departure of these key executives raises questions about the impact it may have on Tesla’s future projects and initiatives, particularly the Robotaxi launch. It remains to be seen how Tesla will navigate these changes and whether they will be able to fill the talent gap left by Ho and Zhang.
As Tesla gears up for the Robotaxi unveiling, the company will need to ensure that they have the right leadership and expertise in place to successfully deliver on their ambitious plans. The competition in the autonomous vehicle space is heating up, and losing top talent to rivals like Waymo could potentially hinder Tesla’s progress in this area.
Overall, Ho’s move to Waymo highlights the intense competition and talent poaching that is taking place in the autonomous vehicle industry. It serves as a reminder of the high stakes involved in this rapidly evolving sector, where companies are vying for leadership positions and striving to stay ahead of the curve in technological advancements. Tesla will need to regroup and refocus in order to maintain its position as a leader in the electric vehicle and autonomous driving market.
