Tesla cofounder not happy with the company’s current situation: “I’m a believer of treating employees with respect”

Before Elon Musk entered the picture at Tesla, the company was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. The pair’s vision revolved around creating an automotive technology company that, rather than focusing on producing an affordable EV, would begin by creating a luxury model and later transition to more standard and accessible options.

Musk, upon learning about Tesla, decided to invest $100 million he had earned from the sale of PayPal, and was appointed the head of Tesla’s Board of Directors in 2004. Quickly, power struggles emerged as Musk sought to increase control over the company. In October 2008, Musk was named Tesla CEO, and both Eberhard and Tarpenning left the company that same year. A lawsuit finalized in 2009 allowed the three men, along with two other early Tesla investors, to claim the title of founder of the company. The billionaire owner of X, SpaceX, and Tesla was able to exert control over Tesla and oust Martin Eberhard as CEO because he was a majority share owner and head of the company’s board.

Though Martin Eberhard has not played an active role in Tesla for nearly two decades, he still tracks the company’s developments in an interview with YouTuber Kim Java, covered by Electrek, the EV-focused outlet.

During the interview, the former Tesla CEO spoke to his differences in leadership compared to Musk and emphasised the importance of employee relations. “I’m a believer of treating employees with respect,” said Eberhard.

Eberhard asked about his views on the latest Tesla models

In the interview, Eberhard explains that he was disappointed to see Musk move Tesla away from its low-end car program and invest heavily in designs like the Cybertruck. When asked about the new designs, he said of the Cybertruck that it looked like a “dumpster.” He added that the models that came after the Roadster look like “a bar of soap in a wind tunnel." Eberhard understood that the designs were attempting to maximize the aerodynamics of the vehicle, but that they weren’t, to him, “inspiring designs in particular.”

Additionally, as Musk has pushed Tesla towards the development of autonomous or self-driving vehicles, Eberhard is not convinced by this emphasis. “One of the troubles with autonomous cars is that it assumes that cars are the answer,” explained Eberhard, adding that in urban environments, there are other solutions within the world of transit to move people and reduce traffic.

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