Low angle view of the facade of the Tesla Motors dealership with logo and sign in Pleasanton, California, July 23, 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images)
Smith / Gado Collection
An influential Tesla engineering director, Joe Mardall, has resigned as a carmaker to become chief engineer at Zipline, according to his own LinkedIn profile.
Zipline is a manufacturer of drones and an air delivery service focused on the distribution of blood and other medical supplies.
Among his achievements over a decade at Tesla, Mardall led the development of a Model Y heat pump system, which was praised by CEO Elon Musk on Twitter, and led Tesla’s efforts to design a ventilator for the sick. Covid that could be produced using car parts. (Never produced fans.)
Before becoming involved in the engineering of Tesla’s latest crossover SUV, the Model Y, Mardall also developed thermal and HVAC technologies, which became defining features in the company’s previous Model X and Model 3 vehicles. many Tesla patents.
According to Forge, a secondary market, Zipline is currently raising a round of E-series financing with shares priced at about $ 32.63, indicating a northern valuation of $ 2 billion.
Mardall wrote in a public post on LinkedIn:
“After 10 wonderful years at Tesla, I am very excited to begin the next chapter as chief engineer at Zipline, working with a team of talented and dedicated engineers to give every person on Earth instant access to vital medical supplies. The next 5 years will change everything and I can’t wait! We hire for all engineering roles and I would love to hear from you – come fly with me! “
Mardall did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
Nominations are open for 2021 CNBC Disruptor 50, a list of private start-ups that use cutting-edge technology to become the next generation of large public companies. send until Friday, February 12, at 15.00 EST.