The German electric van maker StreetScooter has recruited executives from Tesla and Ford to assist drive its worldwide expansion.
Peter Bardenfleth-Hansen, who worked in Tesla’s first European Tesla team, and Ulrich Stuhec, has joined the Streetscooter, the company stated in a news release.
Streetscooter is a subsidiary of the German company Deutsche Post.
Bardenfleth-Hansen is going to be chief growth officer and will be accountable for building up StreetScooter’s international sales organization.
Stuhec will be chief technical officer. He will be accountable for product development, and a new platform and technology development, consisting of autonomous driving.
Stuhec worked for Ford for 17 years and had a leading worldwide role developing the automaker’s autonomous and electric vehicle technologies. He worked for BMW and Rover Group as well he joined Ford. The executive will also be accountable for the China expansion of StreetScooter.
Fabian Schmitt, the current technical chief, is going to take on a new role in the firm.
In September, Streetscooter stated it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Chery Holding to start producing electric vans in China starting in 2021.
Chery will invest up to 500 million euros ($551 million) and prepares yearly production capacity in China of up to 100,000 vehicles.
Ford started production of an electric van in Germany in 2018 using technology given by StreetScooter. The StreetScooter WORK XL is based on Ford’s large Transit van and is geared up with a drivetrain and body designed with the help of StreetScooter.
StreetScooter is broadening its activities regardless of a projected loss and a search by Deutsche Post for outside companies willing to spend or take over the unit.
StreetScooter is set to make a double digit million euros loss this year, Deutsche Post CEO Frank Appel informed the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
“We are in talks with potential partners and buyers,” Appel informed the paper in an interview published Sunday.
He stated in the long run Deutsche Post aims to concentrate on its core business and does not wish to own the electric delivery van unit.
