Two Tesla top manufacturing executives to leave following Model X production issues

Two of Tesla’s top manufacturing executives, Vice President of Production, Greg Reichow, and Vice President of Manufacturing, Josh Ensign, are leaving the automaker following several issues with the production ramp up of the Model X, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

On the other hand, a Tesla spokesperson confirmed both departures, saying that Reichow, the most senior exec of the two, will remain until his replacement is found, but the representative has denied a connection with the issues with the Model X production ramp up.

Bloomberg reports:

“A person familiar with the situation who isn’t authorized to speak about the matter said the executive changes are linked to delays, glitches, and a recall that have bedeviled Tesla’s Model X. Tesla denied any connection between the departures and production problems with its SUV. “This is not about the Model X,” said a Tesla spokesperson. “After being at Tesla for over five years and leading its production team for the past three years, Greg Reichow has announced his intention to take a leave of absence from Tesla so that he can have a well-earned break.”

Reichow has been with Tesla since 2011. Prior to joining Tesla, he was SVP of Operations at SunPower and he had a long career in the semiconductor industry.

Josh Ensign joined Tesla more recently in 2014. He is US Army veteran and joined Honeywell after retiring from the forces. He spent over a decade with the company in several manufacturing roles, more recently as VP of Integrated Supply Chain, before leaving for Tesla about 2 years ago, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk commented on Bloomberg’s report:

“Greg and the team deserve a lot of credit for building an all-new manufacturing organization from the ground up and for making Model S and Model X a reality. We’re confident that with the strength of the team, high-quality manufacturing at Tesla will continue.”

Tesla had to recently issue a recall for the Model X over a weakness in the third-row seat. Musk confirmed having personally been testing Model X’s as they come off the assembly line following the production problems.