Volkswagen has hired a senior Tesla engineer in order to strengthen its electric vehicle position. The engineer – Matthew Renna – was in charge of the Model S and Model X programs, and will be joining VW as Vice President of Volkswagen North American Region. Renna will begin managing the North American team by next month and takes control of the Modular Electrification Toolkit (MEB). The MEB will be the platform that VW’s electric vehicles will be built on when they begin production in 2020.
Renna says, “I am honored to join the Volkswagen family. Electrification is a mission close to my heart, and I am excited for this new adventure with VW!” He did not comment on his reasons for leaving Tesla.