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Two Tesla senior production managers are leaving after a slow Model X debut

Two Tesla senior production managers are leaving after a slow Model X debut

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Tesla's VP of production, Greg Reichow, and its VP of manufacturing, Josh Ensign, are both leaving the company following a troubled rollout of the company's Model X SUV, Bloomberg reports. Tesla only delivered 208 of the cars in its first quarter of availability.

It’s not clear whether the departures were voluntary or not, and Reichow will remain with the company until a replacement is found. A Tesla statement last month blamed "hubris" for trying to put too much technology in the Model X and causing problems with production ramp up.

Some of the first Model X's sold to customers saw quality control issues, including problems with interior trim pieces, paint, and panel gaps in the bodywork. The complicated falcon-wing rear doors also saw significant teething pains. These are similar problems to those Tesla saw in the early years of the Model S availability, though the company seems to be assembling its sedans much more effectively these days. Tesla says its Model X assembly is running according to plan and the remaining production issues have been resolved.

The departures come as Tesla is trying to figure out how to scale up its production by 10 times, going from 50,000 to 500,000 cars per year, as it looks to launch the more affordable Model 3 toward the end of next year. The future of the company rests on its ability to ramp up production of both batteries and cars, and to give buyers confidence that their cars will work as advertised without multiple trips to the service department.

Tesla Model X hands on