Franz von Holzhausen (born May 10, 1968) is an American vehicle designer. Since 2008, he has been in charge of design at Tesla, Inc. He led design for the Tesla Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, and Semi, and the unveiled but not-yet-released Cybertruck and second-generation Tesla Roadster. Prior to Tesla, he worked in design at Mazda, General Motors, and Volkswagen.

Tesla’s Chief of Design Franz von Holzhausen was listed as one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business for 2018. The publication listed von Holzhausen as No.6 in its list. According to Fast Company, it awarded the designer a high rank in its list for repeatedly “redefining Tesla’s electric cars.”

Von Holzhausen joined Tesla in 2008, a time when the electric car company was quite literally on the verge of going under. During that time, Tesla Motors, as the company was named then, was only selling one vehicle — the original Tesla Roadster — an electric car that was based on the Lotus Elise. When he joined Tesla, von Holzhausen was actually taking a risk, considering that his credentials already included work on two of General Motors’ most attractive vehicles — the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky. Pictures of these cars can be found below.

Franz von Holzhausen was presented with a unique opportunity at Tesla. The company knew that it had to move beyond the Roadster at some point, and efforts were underway to develop Whitestar, a full-sized luxury sedan that would be designed and built from the ground up as an electric vehicle. Von Holzhausen and his team worked at the SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA, designing the car from a blank slate. The results of these efforts was the Model S sedan.

The Model S is pretty much the embodiment of von Holzhausen’s signature style — cars that are understated, sleek, elegant, and efficient. The car designer’s aesthetic extended beyond the Model S’ exterior as well, as evidenced by the vehicle’s minimalistic, tech-driven interior. The Model S would go on to win numerous praises from reviewers and buyers. Consumer Reports even dubbed the vehicle as the best car it ever tested.

Franz von Holzhausen’s trademark design carried over to Tesla’s next two vehicles, the Model X and the Model 3 — a car that is expected to push the company into becoming a true mass-market automaker. The Model 3 is smaller than the Model S, but it is just as sleek and attractive. The interior of the vehicle is even more radical than the Model S and Model X, featuring a wooden dashboard that goes from one end of the car to another and a single, center-mounted 15-inch display.

Ultimately, the Model 3’s interior design invokes a future when cars would do most, if not all, of the driving themselves. A simple side-by-side comparison of a driverless Model 3 and Chevy Bolt EV’s interior shows just how forward-thinking von Holzhausen’s designs are for the compact electric car.

After Elon Musk himself, if Tesla’s success can be credited to anyone, it is only one person. Franz von Holzhausen. He’s not only put the company on a path to success but completely changed the entire EV landscape with his bold and innovative approach to design.

According to teslarati.com – Wikipeida – cyberbackpack.com