Faraday Future adds top VW executive to bring to market its upcoming electric vehicles

For a while now, we have been fascinated by Faraday Future’s impressive hiring effort despite having yet to bring a vehicle to market or even officially debut a car they plan to produce – though a prototype was recently spotted. We often scooped some top hires like Tesla’s “head of data science” and a computer vision expert at Apple, but now the latest significant hire comes directly from the startup.

FF announced this week that it hired Joerg Sommer from Volkswagen to lead the “product marketing and go-to-market planning”.

Sommer is leaving his role of Senior Vice President Product Marketing & Strategy at VW, which he held since 2013. Prior to working at Volkswagen, Sommer held executive roles at several European automakers including Daimler (1992-1995 and 2000-2007), Opel (1995-1999) and Renault (2009-2010).

Working for an electric vehicle company will not be entirely new for Sommer since he led the electric mobility brands at both Renault and Volkswagen before taking the SVP of marketing role at the former.

In a press release, FF describes his new role at the company:

In his new role at Faraday Future, Sommer oversees the company-wide product launch strategy, lifecycle management, packaging, and pricing of our electric vehicles and new mobility concepts. His expertise in product marketing will help Faraday Future cultivate a strong brand identity and connect to its target demographic, starting with the launch of its first production vehicle.

Sommer commented in the same press release:

“Joining Faraday Future is an incredible opportunity which allows me to play an integral role in the future of mobility. As the company continues to set the blueprint for smart, sustainable, and connected EV transportation, I look forward to what I can accomplish in my role within the company.”

FF now claims to have 1,400 global employees, including the US, China, and Europe. The company is moving forward with its $1 billion factory in Nevada where they are currently grading the land.