Key Tesla Roadster Engineer Musk Loses To EV Startup Started By Ex-Colleague

strongChief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France on June 16, 2023. One of Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc‘s key engineering figures, Colin Campbell, is bidding farewell to the electric vehicle giant after 17 years of service.  CHESNOT/GETTY IMAGES /strong
strongChief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France on June 16, 2023. One of Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc‘s key engineering figures, Colin Campbell, is bidding farewell to the electric vehicle giant after 17 years of service.  CHESNOT/GETTY IMAGES /strong


By Ramakrishnan M

One of Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc‘s key engineering figures, Colin Campbell, is bidding farewell to the electric vehicle giant after 17 years of service. 

What Happened: Campbell, who played an instrumental role in Tesla’s growth from a startup to a global powerhouse, is making a significant career move to join Redwood Materials, a company established by none other than Tesla’s co-founder and former CTO, J.B. Straubel.

Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France on June 16, 2023. One of Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc‘s key engineering figures, Colin Campbell, is bidding farewell to the electric vehicle giant after 17 years of service.  CHESNOT/GETTY IMAGES 

Reflecting on his time at Tesla, Campbell said on LinkedIn: “My time at the company began when we barely had a proof of concept and ends with millions of Teslas on the road worldwide. We not only made a difference on global emissions but also forever influenced how the world thinks about transportation and helped to shape the product roadmaps of almost every other automaker.”

Campbell’s journey with Tesla commenced in 2006 when the EV landscape was in its infancy. He was part of the team that brought Tesla’s first electric sports car, the Roadster, to life. Through the years, he climbed the ranks, contributing significantly to the advancement of Tesla’s powertrain technology.

His trajectory at Tesla included roles such as director of engineering for power electronics, and later as vice president of powertrain technology.

Campbell’s decision to join Redwood Materials as CTO marks a reunion with former colleague Straubel, who co-founded Redwood after leaving Tesla in 2019 and is credited by Musk as the reason behind his first investment in Tesla.

Redwood Materials aims to create a North American battery supply chain by producing cathode and anode materials and focusing on recycling.

Chief Executive Officer of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of Twitter, Elon Musk attends the Viva Technology conference at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris, France on June 16, 2023. One of Elon Musk-led Tesla Inc‘s key engineering figures, Colin Campbell, is bidding farewell to the electric vehicle giant after 17 years of service.  CHESNOT/GETTY IMAGES 

Interestingly, Straubel recently returned to Tesla, this time as a member of the company’s board, possibly signaling potential ties between the two companies. 

Campbell’s exit also comes on the heels of the abrupt exit of Zachary Kirkhorn, who held the position of chief financial officer.

Produced in association with Benzinga