Key Points
- đ Volkswagen has hired Sanjay Lal, a former Tesla Inc. engineering director, to enhance its electric vehicle software capabilities.
- đ¨âđź Lal also worked at Rivian and Google’s Android Automotive division.
- đ He will join Volkswagen’s Cariad unit as the head of a software design hub to develop a new software platform for future VW electric vehicles.
- đ The hub’s work is expected to debut in projects from Audi and Volkswagen and be used across VW’s brands.
- đ§ Lal’s experience at Tesla, Google, and Rivian signifies Volkswagen’s commitment to improving its software and competing in the electric vehicle software race.
- đ Volkswagen has faced challenges with software in its vehicles, affecting sales in key markets like China and the United States.
- đŞ Hiring Lal aims to make Volkswagen’s EV offerings more competitive and appealing to consumers.
Volkswagen AG has hired a former Tesla Inc. engineering director to help the company catch up in the electric vehicle software race. The new VW executive also worked at Rivian and Googleâs Android Automotive division in the past.Â
As per Volkswagen, Sanjay Lal will join Volkswagenâs Cariad unit next month as head of a software design hub. He will be tasked with the development of a new software platform that will be used in Volkswagenâs future electric vehicles.
Two projects from Audi and Volkswagen are expected to debut the hubâs work. The hubâs output is also expected to become the basis for scaling the software architecture across VWâs brands, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Sanjay Lal worked as a director of engineering at Tesla for two years before joining Googleâs Android Automotive project in 2019. Following this, he moved to Rivian, where he served as the Vice President of Software Platform until his departure.
Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume has been taking steps to improve the veteran automakerâs software capabilities. The carmaker, after all, has encountered difficulties with the software in its vehicles. This became prominent in vehicles like the ID.3, which was a pretty proper EV save for its software.
Volkswagenâs software issues have adversely affected sales in key markets. In China, sales of Volkswagenâs all-electric cars have fallen behind industry leaders like Tesla and local powerhouses such as BYD. In the United States, Volkswagenâs EVs are outsold by rivals with much more refined software, such as the Tesla Model Y.
In a way, Lalâs hiring shows that Volkswagen is serious about catching up in the vehicle software race. His experience at Tesla, Google, and Rivian will likely provide him with the experience needed to help Volkswagen develop a competitive vehicle software platform. If he is successful, he could make Volkswagenâs EV offerings immediately more compelling for consumers.