Tesla's Top Tech Officer Steps Down

J.B. Straubel, one of Tesla Inc.’s founding executives in 2003, has resigned as the carmaker’s chief technology officer.

He will continue to serve as a senior adviser to Tesla and emphasized that his move does not indicate any displeasure with the company or its staff. He is being replaced as CTO by Drew Baglino, currently vice president of technology.

Straubel is credited with developing Tesla’s battery strategy and has directed research and development, technology partnerships and evaluating new technologies.

His departure is the latest in a steady exodus of high-ranking executives from Tesla. More than 60 executives have left Tesla this year, including 24 in the past three months, according to the Financial Times.

Since the beginning of last year, the company has lost its chief financial officer, general counsel and the heads of production, global operations and public relations.

Apple Inc. has hired several Tesla engineers in the past year, including Steve MacManus, former head of interior/exterior engineering.

Straubel co-founded the Straubel Foundation, which focuses on global sustainability and education, in 2015, and launched a recycling engineering company two years later.