Tesla Giga Shanghai Executive in Texas to Assist with Model Y Ramp Up

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is utilizing talent from the company’s Gigafactory in China to help operate its Austin, Texas, plant.

Shanghai executive Tom Zhu and some of his engineering team are visiting Tesla’s Giga Texas this week to help with the Austin factory’s production ramp-up, according to multiple people familiar with the matter in a report from Bloomberg.

The sources, who asked to remain anonymous due to the information not being public, said Musk has recruited Zhu to oversee some Giga Texas operations — though it’s not clear whether he’ll continue with his duties at Giga Shanghai or how long he’ll be in the U.S.

Zhu originally joined Tesla in 2014 as a part of its Supercharger team, while he worked more recently at Giga Shanghai overseeing its construction and operations.

The news comes as Tesla continues to increase production of the Model Y SUV at Giga Texas, ahead of plans to begin producing the highly-anticipated Cybertruck next year. Tesla has already begun hiring for positions related to Cybertruck production at the Austin, Texas, factory.

Just last week, a report indicated that Tesla could be aiming for a production target of 75,000 Model Y units at Giga Texas in the first quarter of 2023.