Christina Balan was the featured guest on the TeslaQ podcast this week and it was absolutely fascinating interview. I remember hearing about Christina Balan a couple years ago. But at the time, I had no idea what an integral part of Tesla she actually was. It is said that she “saved the Model S”.
I mean, it’s one thing for a disgruntled ex-Tesla employee with an axe to grind to say that Tesla has major quality problems. But that wasn’t Christina. She was a beloved part of the Tesla family. And further, she has seriously impressive automotive credentials.
When Christina started with Tesla, they were just opening an office in Palo Alto and there were less than 30-40 employees there. It was a nerd paradise. The environment was one of dreams coming true for many of the engineers who worked there. But sadly she saw the company destroyed by egos which grew out of control.
Tesla had a huge design problem with the Model S CAD models and flew in a bunch of experts from Europe to help them out. The Model S models had gotten so big and complex that Tesla engineers were unable to make updates. Tesla was unable export files and send new schematics to suppliers until they could solve this problem. The experts from France said Tesla had a monster on their hands and they didn’t know what they could do. Christina tackled the problem and fixed it before most people knew her name since she was a new hire to the battery group.
She reconstructed the computer models so that updates could be made in a few minutes versus a couple of hours. Even today, Tesla uses Christina’s methodologies for their current models because they haven’t found anything else better. She found this out in the legal briefs.
From that point onward, no one else wanted to touch battery modules because she became the go-to module person. After they finished the first Model S battery design, her managers talked to the supplier and had her name engraved into the first battery.
Christina worked on the battery modules for the “Powered by Tesla” Toyota RAV4s. She also did the Mercedes-Benz B class. Christina worked on every battery module that Tesla did between 2010-2013. Her contribution towards the Model S battery modules was so appreciated by her leadership that they decided to spring a little surprise on her. They had her name included on the molds for the Model S molds. So it would be stamped into every battery module.
Christina actually left Tesla twice. Both were sad but I’m only going to mention the first. At an after work going away party for colleague on his way out, Christina had confided in her co-workers that earlier that week doctors had found multiple cancerous tumors. The next day her boss called her into a meeting with HR where she was let go.
However, Christina was so well-regarded within Tesla that other departments were clamoring to hire her back. They knew what she was capable of and respected her talent. HR told them to hold off for 3 months and at that time they would check on her status.
So after 4-5 months word got around at Tesla that she was cancer free. Christina wasn’t only respected for her competence, she was a beloved member of the Tesla family. You’d think that it would be crazy for Christina to go back to Tesla after what they pulled. Firing her the day after she told them she had cancer. But Christina was willing to give them another chance and re-join the Tesla family. She accepted an offer with the interior design team at the Fremont factory.
Christina said the Fremont factory was complete hell from the start. It was a whole different vibe from Palo Alto. To her it wasn’t Tesla any more. All anyone focused on was the number of cars being output and no one gave a shit about the quality issues that popped up. They didn’t give a damn about innovation. Christina couldn’t believe what happened to Tesla in the 4-5 months she had been out and was sorry she had moved back to California to take the job. It didn’t seem like the same company any more.
But don’t take my word for it. Listen to this riveting first-hand account on the downfall of Tesla.
- Christina was the only woman to have worked in the Honda R&D center where she spent time on a fuel cell car.
- She worked on the Audi R8 in 2007.
- She redesigned the Porsche Cayenne doors.
- She worked in in the Chrysler design house and worked on Nissan parts.
- In 2007 she went to Boeing to work on the 777 Dreamliner.
- She had always dreamed of having a real electric car. Wanting to get back to automotive Christina received offers from Fisker and Tesla but went to Tesla in 2010.
When Christina started with Tesla, they were just opening an office in Palo Alto and there were less than 30-40 employees there. It was a nerd paradise. The environment was one of dreams coming true for many of the engineers who worked there. But sadly she saw the company destroyed by egos which grew out of control.
Tesla had a huge design problem with the Model S CAD models and flew in a bunch of experts from Europe to help them out. The Model S models had gotten so big and complex that Tesla engineers were unable to make updates. Tesla was unable export files and send new schematics to suppliers until they could solve this problem. The experts from France said Tesla had a monster on their hands and they didn’t know what they could do. Christina tackled the problem and fixed it before most people knew her name since she was a new hire to the battery group.
She reconstructed the computer models so that updates could be made in a few minutes versus a couple of hours. Even today, Tesla uses Christina’s methodologies for their current models because they haven’t found anything else better. She found this out in the legal briefs.
From that point onward, no one else wanted to touch battery modules because she became the go-to module person. After they finished the first Model S battery design, her managers talked to the supplier and had her name engraved into the first battery.
Christina worked on the battery modules for the “Powered by Tesla” Toyota RAV4s. She also did the Mercedes-Benz B class. Christina worked on every battery module that Tesla did between 2010-2013. Her contribution towards the Model S battery modules was so appreciated by her leadership that they decided to spring a little surprise on her. They had her name included on the molds for the Model S molds. So it would be stamped into every battery module.
Christina actually left Tesla twice. Both were sad but I’m only going to mention the first. At an after work going away party for colleague on his way out, Christina had confided in her co-workers that earlier that week doctors had found multiple cancerous tumors. The next day her boss called her into a meeting with HR where she was let go.
However, Christina was so well-regarded within Tesla that other departments were clamoring to hire her back. They knew what she was capable of and respected her talent. HR told them to hold off for 3 months and at that time they would check on her status.
So after 4-5 months word got around at Tesla that she was cancer free. Christina wasn’t only respected for her competence, she was a beloved member of the Tesla family. You’d think that it would be crazy for Christina to go back to Tesla after what they pulled. Firing her the day after she told them she had cancer. But Christina was willing to give them another chance and re-join the Tesla family. She accepted an offer with the interior design team at the Fremont factory.
Christina said the Fremont factory was complete hell from the start. It was a whole different vibe from Palo Alto. To her it wasn’t Tesla any more. All anyone focused on was the number of cars being output and no one gave a shit about the quality issues that popped up. They didn’t give a damn about innovation. Christina couldn’t believe what happened to Tesla in the 4-5 months she had been out and was sorry she had moved back to California to take the job. It didn’t seem like the same company any more.
But don’t take my word for it. Listen to this riveting first-hand account on the downfall of Tesla.
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