Tesla's China chief Tom Zhu has been promoted to take direct oversight of the electric car maker's U.S. assembly plants as well as sales operations in North America and Europe, according to an internal posting of reporting lines reviewed by Reuters.
The move makes Zhu the highest-profile executive at Tesla after CEO Elon Musk, with direct oversight for deliveries in all of its major markets and operations of its key production hubs.
The reporting lines for Zhu would keep Tesla's vehicle design and development -- both areas where Musk has been heavily involved -- separate while creating an apparent deputy to Musk on the more near-term challenges of managing global sales and output.