In Good Company I EPISODE 01

2025 / 01/ 19
 

by Peter Hochholdinger, Senior Advisor at DeepDrive

There are few things as complex – or as unforgiving – as automotive production at scale. I’ve spent over three decades in the industry: After more than 20 years at Audi, where I led production for high-volume models such as the A4, A5, and Q5 at the Ingolstadt plant, I was recruited by Tesla to lead production during a critical growth phase. Later, I contributed my expertise to Lucid Motors, leading global vehicle and electric motor production. I’ve seen what works, and what doesn’t. And after all these years, I didn’t expect to get involved again.

But when the DeepDrive team approached me, something stood out. They didn’t just want advice. They wanted someone to build with them. And they weren’t asking for credibility – they were already doing the right things. The fundamentals were strong: a promising technology, yes, but more importantly, a clear focus on manufacturability from day one.

That’s rare. In this industry, many young companies build brilliant prototypes that are nearly impossible to scale. DeepDrive is different. Every engineering decision they made reflected an understanding of what it would take to bring their motor into series production. Industrialisation was never Plan B. From the very beginning, the team made a deliberate choice: to design not just an innovative electric motor – but one that could be produced at scale. While others focused solely on proving performance, they asked harder questions early on:

▪ Can this be built in the 100,000th?
▪ Can it hit automotive-grade quality?
▪ Will it make economic sense in a high-volume environment?

They are open, hands-on, and grounded. Many of them come from large OEMs but still think like a startup. They know where the traps are, and they’re willing to ask for guidance early. That balance – between engineering excellence and humility – is one of the reasons I decided to get involved.

My role at DeepDrive is clear: help the team prepare for industrial scale. Not by repeating what we did at Tesla or Audi, but by applying that knowledge in a new context.

Production is a discipline of focus. And DeepDrive has it.

I’m glad to support them as a senior advisor – not because they needed saving, but because they’re ready to take the next step. And that’s exactly the moment where experience counts.

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Peter Hochholdinger is former Head of Production at Tesla and Lucid Motors, and spent over 20 years at Audi. He now serves as a senior expert advisor to DeepDrive as the company prepares for series production.

THIS IS WHAT IN GOOD COMPANY MEANS
Peter joins a growing group of deeply experienced advisors who are actively supporting DeepDrive’s path to scale. Together with trusted advisors like Peter Mertens (former board member and CTO of Audi and Volvo), Gerd Schuster (former head of research at BMW), and Hans-Jörg Feigel (former head of strategy and future solutions at Continental), we’ve recently welcomed:

▪ Jörg Grotendorst, former SVP corp R&D of Magna, CEO of Rheinmetall Automotive, founder and EVP of ZF E-Mobility, CEO Siemens Insight eCar, and founder of Continental’s E-Drive BU
▪ Markus Buergin, partner at Bain & Company and former associate partner at McKinsey

This isn’t about adding big names for show. It’s about building in good company – with people who’ve actually done it before, and who are now doing it again, with us.