Audi and YouTube Executives Join Tesla Motors

Electric vehicles manufacturer Tesla Motors has announced that it has hired two former executives from Audi and YouTube to run North American sales and Communications respectively.

John Walker, who will join Tesla as vice president for North American sales, will be traveling throughout the fall to Tesla’s store openings. The 46-year-old has worked at General Motors and BMW before moving to Audi, where he was promoted from sales positions in Australia to Canada and then to the United States.

“It is really because of Tesla that the automotive industry has turned so quickly to embrace development of electric vehicles, and I feel confident that Tesla will continue to be at the forefront of innovation,” Walker said. “Joining the company now is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to help create something different, change the world for the better and have fun in the process.”

Ricardo Reyes, 35, will join Tesla Motors as vice president for communications, starting in September 14. He comes to work for Tesla after being the head of global communications and public affairs at YouTube, one of Google’s subsidiaries. As part of his new position at Tesla, Reyes will travel to Frankfurt for the 2009 International Motor Show.

“Despite its small size, Tesla has become a significant player in the automotive industry and has already served as a powerful catalyst for other automakers to develop green vehicles,” Reyes said. “The opportunity to join Tesla and help make a difference to the world is the only thing that could have enticed me to leave Google.”

The company stated that it became profitable in July and that it’s moving its headquarters from San Carlos, California, to nearby Palo Alto.