Tesla Heavy Duty Trucking Head Departs

Jerome Guillen Departs Tesla

A key executive at Tesla, Jerome Guillen, who was instrumental in the development and anticipated production of the Tesla Semi, has left the company. This information was disclosed in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Monday.

Shift in Responsibilities Preceded Departure

Guillen’s exit follows a recent reassignment just three months prior. He was moved from the position of president of automotive – a role that included oversight of the Tesla Semi project – to a less prominent position leading heavy duty trucking initiatives.

From September 2018 to March 2021, Guillen oversaw Tesla’s complete automotive operations.

A Decade of Service at Tesla

Throughout his ten years with Tesla, Guillen held a variety of significant positions within the organization. He initially joined Tesla in 2010.

He quickly ascended, reporting directly to CEO Elon Musk as the program director for the Model S. His responsibilities expanded to include the role of VP of vehicle engineering.

Subsequently, he was appointed president of automotive, and later transitioned to president of heavy duty trucking in March 2021.

Prior Experience in Trucking

Before joining Tesla, Guillen was an executive at Daimler. There, he led the development of a new generation of Class 8 trucks.

Status of the Tesla Semi

The Tesla Semi, an all-electric semi-truck, remains under development. The vehicle was initially unveiled in November 2017.

Original plans anticipated production commencing in 2019, but the timeline has experienced repeated delays. The impact of Guillen’s departure on the Semi’s production schedule remains uncertain.

Production Challenges and Updates

During Tesla’s 2020 Q4 earnings call in January, CEO Elon Musk stated that all engineering work on the Tesla Semi was finalized.

He projected that deliveries would begin in 2021, citing battery cell availability as the primary constraint to production volume.

However, three months later, Tesla offered limited updates, simply confirming that the Semi remained in development.

Megacharger Installation and Production Line

Earlier this month, Tesla announced the installation of its first Tesla Semi Megacharger at Frito-Lay’s delivery center in Modesto, California.

These charging stations are designed to support up to 100 Tesla Semi trucks.

Reports earlier this year indicated that Tesla is constructing a dedicated production line for the Semi near its Gigafactory in Nevada, with a target output of five trucks per week.

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