Tesla has hired Aston Martin’s Chief Engineer of Vehicle Engineering, Chris Porritt, to be its Vice President of Vehicle Engineering. Chris is a world-class leader and automotive engineer who established Aston Martin’s Vehicle Engineering team from the ground up and used his innovative approach as Chief Engineer for Aston Martin’s One-77 supercar. The One-77 was best known for its advanced structural design combined with cutting edge active suspension and aerodynamics. These combined to make it one of the fastest cars in the world.
Chris brings more than 25 years of automotive engineering experience to Tesla. Chris joined Aston Martin in 1997 where he brought the Vehicle Engineering function in-house, establishing vehicle dynamics, NVH and durability and later whole vehicle architecture and vehicle packaging, as well as thermal management, aerodynamics and full vehicle test. Chris’s team was the group responsible for the architecture of the VH platform cars including DB9 and V12 Vantage. Prior to Aston Martin, Chris spent 10 years at Land Rover where he began as a college intern and rose to the role of principle engineer in Vehicle Dynamics.
“Tesla is a hardcore technology company, which means that anyone leading a team of engineers must be an outstanding engineer themself, as well as a good leader,” said Elon Musk, Tesla co-founder and CEO. “Chris demonstrated exactly that in his prior role at Aston Martin, creating in the One-77 what was arguably their best car ever.”
“I look forward to driving new standards for vehicle engineering innovation in the Model S, Model X and future vehicle lines,” Porritt said. “This is an incredible opportunity to bring technologies normally reserved for supercars to the high volume market.”
Chris attended Hatfield Polytechnic north of London earning a Mechanical and Automotive Engineering degree. He later earned a master’s degree in Automotive Technology Management from Cranfield University.
Tesla’s goal is to accelerate the world’s transition to electric mobility with a full range of increasingly affordable electric cars. California-based Tesla designs and manufactures EVs, as well as EV powertrain components for partners such as Toyota and Daimler. Tesla has delivered almost 10,000 electric vehicles to customers in 31 countries.