Tesla’s raw material procurement director poached by Rivian, potentially to compete against the Cybertruck

Rivian hires Tesla's raw material procurement director to potentially compete against Cybertruck

【PhoneAuto News】Recently, according to foreign media reports, Mustapha El Akkari, the former head of Tesla’s raw material procurement, has left the company and jumped to Tesla’s competitor, Rivian. As a result of this personnel change, the Tesla Cybertruck model will not only face more intense competition from Rivian, but there is also a possibility that its production time may be postponed again.

Tesla Cybertruck

It is reported that after joining Rivian, El Akkari will serve as the company’s senior director of structure and raw materials. He used to manage part of Tesla’s supply chain business and was responsible for managing the non-battery supply chain of Tesla Cybertruck and other Tesla vehicles. According to his LinkedIn profile, he worked at Tesla for four and a half years and was responsible for managing $1.6 billion in raw material expenses. However, El Akkari has not yet updated his LinkedIn page to indicate that he has jumped to Rivian. Neither Tesla nor Rivian have confirmed this news yet.

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If this news is true, it will be a huge loss for Tesla, especially considering the current timing. After being delayed for many years, Cybertruck is finally expected to enter initial production this summer and enter mass production in 2024. However, the departure of the supply chain business leader may have a certain impact on its production.

Rivian R1T

Rivian is currently actively preparing to launch its R1T electric pickup and hopes to compete fiercely with Cybertruck in the market. Both models are highly anticipated, and the industry has high hopes for their performance and market response. The addition of Mustapha El Akkari will undoubtedly bring more professional strength to Rivian and enhance its competitiveness in supply chain management and raw material procurement.

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