Tesla founder's departure takes away part of the car's soul

According to Bloomberg, this week, electric car maker Tesla announced that its chief technology officer, JB Straubel, is leaving. Straubel said he was taking a break and then going back to "create things." The departure of the founder undoubtedly took away part of Tesla's soul. The following is the translation:

A photo of Straubel (above), taken in 2004, has become part of Tesla lore. Back when Tesla was more of a hopeful concept than a serious automaker, Straubel was in his backyard, hand-gluing lithium-ion batteries to a box as part of Tesla's first car. Straubel, the company's longtime chief technology officer, looked like a young engineer with an eager, problem-solving eye who had no idea what was in store for him. Certainly, Straubel never imagined he would one day reach such heights.

Tesla released its second-quarter earnings report on Wednesday, announcing that it delivered 95,356 electric vehicles in the quarter and the company suffered a net loss. At the same time, the company also revealed that Straubel will give up his position as chief technology officer and no longer do his day-to-day work, but will instead serve as a company consultant. For those who have been following Tesla for a long time, this is a surprising change. Straubel, 43, represents the soul of Tesla, just like Elon Musk . He is a person who truly believes in electric vehicles and believes that electric vehicles will reshape the world. Behind Musk's dramatic and visionary image, the quiet and down-to-earth Straubel has always been an indispensable complement.

“It’s been an amazing time, and I really enjoy the mission and the personal connection and responsibility to the entire company,” Straubel said in a phone interview. “Tesla has moved on. What we need now is to focus on car sales, delivery and manufacturing. I’ve been helping them with that for the last few years, but it’s not what I’m best at. There are a lot of people in the world who do that better and enjoy it more.”

Tesla has become polarizing. Some see it as an obvious revolution in transportation, while others think it’s an elaborate scam. But before all that, in the early days of the company, Straubel and a group of engineers were struggling to produce an electric car for a market where no one wanted one. The struggle lasted until 2008, when the financial crisis brought traditional automakers to the brink of bankruptcy, and Tesla had to apply for loans in the ensuing financial chaos to continue its unrealistic dream. A decade later, Tesla has produced thousands of electric cars, and they are among the safest, fastest, most advanced and most popular cars ever made. Most of the auto industry is now trying to imitate it, but finding that it’s not easy.

Straubel was the only one among Tesla’s founders to devote his life to the idea that cars needed to be greener. While at Stanford, he created a custom major called Energy Systems and Engineering, learning how to better control electricity and power through software. As Musk’s biography puts it, “There was no cleantech movement, but there were companies dabbling in new uses like solar and electric cars.” Straubel eventually sought out these startups, hanging out in their garages and pestering engineers with questions. He also designed cars for Stanford’s solar car team, buying a junk Porsche for $1,600 and converting it into an electric car. After college, Straubel got a job at Rosen Motors, one of the first companies to make hybrid cars.

Around 2002, Straubel began to believe that lithium-ion batteries used in laptops and other consumer electronics had improved enough that a car could be built based on the technology. He began to travel around Silicon Valley, trying to convince his old friends at Stanford and anyone else who would listen to him that electric cars could be revived. But no one paid any attention. Fortunately, he met Musk in 2003 and had lunch with him in Los Angeles near the headquarters of Musk's rocket company SpaceX.

The crazy idea immediately resonated with Musk, who had also been thinking about electric cars for years. Although Musk had mainly focused on using supercapacitors in electric cars, he was excited and surprised to hear how much progress had been made in lithium-ion battery technology. "Everyone else said I was crazy, but Elon liked the idea. He said, sure, I'll give you some money." Straubel was looking for $100,000 at the time, and Musk agreed to provide $10,000. The two formed a close relationship on the spot.

Meanwhile, two other entrepreneurs, Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, had similar visions for an electric car future. Eventually, these four would join forces to make Tesla a reality. Eberhard and Tarpenning left in 2008 amid ongoing controversy surrounding the company’s management style and Musk’s preference for exerting more control. Needless to say, Tesla would never have achieved what it has today if Musk was not willing to invest his own money, drive, and grand vision into it. Likewise, Straubel’s deep understanding of electric vehicles and his near-religious passion for them guided Tesla in its early days and kept the company together during its toughest times. These two key factors fueled Tesla’s wild ride.

Rather than launching a new car or a merger, Straubel's departure marks the beginning of a new era for Tesla and himself. "This was a very difficult decision because I feel like I've let a lot of people down," Straubel said. "But, at the same time, you have to survive. I love inventing, developing and making things, and I know myself well enough to refocus my life. I'm decompressing and taking a break, but I'll have more to announce in a few weeks."

More than a decade ago, Straubel struck a deal with Musk that led to a huge accomplishment that was nothing like the one Musk struck with a handful of early SpaceX employees. Musk has a habit of asking like-minded people around the world if they are willing to give of their time and abilities, and put up with his typically combative and fiery ways. Some rise to the challenge, and many don’t. But Straubel is certainly one of the former. He has the scars and the vast wealth he has amassed to prove it. In the past nine months alone, he has made about $30 million from stock cashouts. He has also seen his once-wild ideas come to life in the most brilliant way possible, the ultimate benefit of working with Musk.

Tesla’s true founding story is full of animosity and baggage, and it’s never the clean-cut, two-guy-in-a-garage Silicon Valley story. Musk has become a legend, but the people around him have stayed out of the spotlight. In many ways, Straubel is to Musk what Wozniak was to Jobs, and much of Tesla’s greatness stems from the spirit of the kid playing with batteries in the backyard.