Low angle view of the Tesla Motors dealership’s logo and sign facade in Pleasanton, California, July 23, 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection / Gado / Getty Images)
Smith Collection / Gado
An influential technical director at Tesla, Joe Mardall, has stepped down from his position at the automaker to become chief of engineering at Zipline, according to his own LinkedIn profile.
Zipline is an aerial drone maker and delivery service focused on the distribution of blood and other medical supplies.
Among his achievements during a decade at Tesla, Mardall led the development of a Model Y heat pump system, which was praised by CEO Elon Musk on Twitter, and led Tesla’s efforts to develop a ventilator for Covid patients that can be manufactured with auto parts. (It never produced the fans.)
Before being involved in the engineering of Tesla’s latest crossover SUV, Model Y, Mardall also developed thermal and HVAC technologies that became defining features in the company’s previous Model X and Model 3 vehicles. His name is on several Tesla patents.
According to Forge, a secondary marketplace, Zipline is currently picking up a Series E round of financing with stocks priced around $ 32.63, indicating a valuation north of $ 2 billion.
Mardall wrote in a public post on LinkedIn:
“After 10 amazing years at Tesla, I am super excited to start my next chapter as Head of Engineering at Zipline, working with a team of talented and dedicated engineers to give every person on Earth instant access to essential medical supplies. Everything will change in the next 5 years and I can’t wait! We’re hiring for all roles in engineering and I’d love to hear from you – fly with me! “
Mardall did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
Nominations are open for 2021 CNBC disruptor 50, a list of private start-ups using breakthrough technology to become the next generation of large public corporations. To send until Friday, Feb. 12 at 3:00 p.m. EST.