Uber CEO Trolls Elon Musk AGAIN By Hiring Ex-Tesla Charging Guru

Uber just pulled off a serious checkmate, and the timing is so perfect it almost feels like they’ve got Elon’s browser history. They’ve brought on Rebecca Tinucci, the former Tesla exec who was the brains behind Tesla’s one of a kind charging network. And if you’re thinking, “Wait, isn’t she the one Elon Musk just fired?” you’re absolutely right. It looks like Uber has a knack for making Elon second-guess himself. First, they stomped on his robo-taxi dreams, and now they’ve poached one of his top talents. Who’s having the last laugh now, Musk?

(Source: Fortune)

In case you’re unfamiliar, Tinucci was the one calling the shots for Tesla’s Supercharger network. For all you gas guzzlers out there, these are the stations that are capable of cranking out 250 kW of power, and can take a Tesla from zero to 80% in just 30 minutes. That’s pretty impressive for an electric car. We’re talking about the best, most widespread fast-charging network on the planet—the gold standard for EV drivers. And no, this isn’t just some puffed-up claim—Tesla’s Superchargers are like the Chick-fil-A of EV charging: fast, dependable, and always there when you’re running on fumes.

And what did Tinucci get for her troubles? A pink slip. Elon Musk, in true “let’s burn it all down” fashion, axed her and her entire 500-person team in may after she pushed back on yet another round of layoffs. Spoiler alert: Musk had to rehire some of that team later on because, well, reality doesn’t always line up with Elon’s math.

(Source: Electrek)

One person who wasn’t about to let Tinucci slip through his fingers is Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. He swooped in and nabbed her to lead Uber’s plan to electrify its entire fleet by 2040. That’s right—by the time your kids are complaining about how old school your iPhone 23 is, every Uber ride will be in a zero-emission vehicle. Let’s just say that Uber has a lot of work to do to reach their goal, but they believe Tinucci is the “man with a plan” “woman with a plan” to make it happen.

Let’s be real here. Uber’s move to snag Tinucci is like me getting LeBron James to play on my Church league basketball team. Sure, the league might not have been all that competitive before, but now it’s game on. In addition to making sure there were enough places for Tesla-owners to plug in, Tinnucci inked deals with big-time carmakers like Ford, Rivian, and GM, expanding Tesla’s network and giving the company another lucrative revenue stream. Now, she’s bringing her magic to Uber, a company that desperately needs to speed things up if they want to meet their lofty green ambitions.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Tinucci isn’t wasting any time. She’s starting her new gig on September 16th and will report directly to Andrew Macdonald, Uber’s SVP of Mobility. Her first order of business? Likely getting Uber’s electrification efforts back on track and making sure the company doesn’t end up in the same boat as other once-promising green initiatives like Better Place and Fisker.

(Source: Small Biz Technology)

So here we are, Uber’s all-in on going green and they’re hoping Tinucci can be their cheat code. With her at the helm, Uber’s 2040 zero-emission goal just went from a pipe dream to a serious possibility. And after getting fired from Tesla, you can bet she’s got something to prove. Uber’s Stock is up over 25% year to date.

Stocks.News holds positions in Tesla, Uber, GM, Ford, and Rivian.