EVgo, the American public electric vehicle DC fast charging network, has just poached Tesla and General Motors alumni as it seeks to further advance in the industry “amid a shifting competitive landscape,” according to a recent press release.
Former Tesla and GM charging veterans join EVgo network
Tesla and General Motors’ former charging network leaders have joined EVgo earlier this month, including the following:
- Martin Sukul – former Tesla Lead Architect and Senior Management of Charging Systems
- Jeff Inhofer – former Mechanical Engineer for Residential Solar
- Alex Keros – former GM Director of EV Infrastructure Development
EVgo believes that the new presence of these Tesla and GM veterans will aid its efforts to advance as the “charging network of choice” for electric vehicle owners, obviously eyeing the Tesla Supercharger network, which continues to defend the best EV fast-charging network crown in the US.
The new hires will primarily help EVgo develop next-gen electric vehicle charging architecture that will focus on offering an unprecedented customer experience and cost efficiencies.
“As the EV charging industry evolves, it is imperative that we not only invest in network enhancements, but also recruit best-in-class talent that will enable us to continue to deliver a superior charging experience for EV drivers.”
Dennis Kish, EVgo President
Role assignments
Ex-Tesla charging leader Martin Sukup will now serve as the new Executive Vice President of Engineering at EVgo. Particularly, he will supervise the charging network’s overall EVSE hardware program, along with overall reliability and quality, software, and equipment data management.
The other former Tesla engineer, Jeff Inhofer, became the new Vice President of Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Engineering, focusing on newer-gen EVSE.
Lastly, GM veteran Alex Keros will supervise as EVgo’s Senior Vice President of Products. He will lead EVgo’s larger product and services strategies, market research, and product requirements.
“By expanding our leadership team with seasoned automotive and engineering experts, EVgo will continue to innovate and build out our customer-centric network for the nation’s rapidly growing population of EV drivers, who are increasingly relying on public infrastructure for their charging needs.”
Dennis Kish, EVgo President
Notably, Sukul served the Musk-led company for more than 14 years through June. Inhofer departed from Tesla way back in December 2022 after almost a decade. Keros left GM after over 17 years of employment.
Implication in the EV charging space
The news emerged following Tesla’s major layoff earlier this year. While the Musk-led automaker had already rehired some of the affected Supercharging team members, industry experts had already expected that the rest of the EV charging players would benefit from those talents seeking new homes.
“There are a lot of very experienced, smart charging executives now on the market looking for their next role. Tapping into the expertise of people who helped build and maintain Tesla’s charging leadership can be invaluable in helping take EVgo to the next level.”
EVAdoption CEO (via Automotive News)
As of today, EVgo has already deployed more than 1,000 DC fast-charging stations. It also boasts that over 145 million people in the country live within just 10 miles of an EVgo charger.
On the other hand, Tesla disclosed in its latest operational summary that its Supercharger stations grew 23% YoY from just 5,265 in Q2 2023 to a total of 6,473 in Q2 2024.
