ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp., a designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles, has appointed Kevin Pavlov as its new chief operating officer (COO), effective May 1. Pavlov will be responsible for overseeing operational growth as ElectraMeccanica ramps up commercial production with a focus on enhancing profitability and efficiency.
Pavlov brings more than two decades of automotive experience to ElectraMeccanica, with an accomplished background and domain-specific expertise working with OEMs and globally recognized Tier 1 suppliers. Prior to joining ElectraMeccanica, Pavlov most recently served as the COO of Karma Automotive. Pavlov has held various other senior leadership roles in his career, most notably at Magna International where he was, at different points in time, the COO of its E-Car Joint Venture; global president and general manager of Magna Electronics; and executive vice president of Magna’s Services, Ventures and Innovation Group.
Pavlov assumes the role which had been previously held by ElectraMeccanica’s Co-Founder and Board Member, Henry Reisner, who will now become executive vice-president of ElectraMeccanica and president of its wholly owned subsidiary, InterMeccanica. Reisner will continue to work actively with Pavlov to ensure a smooth transition in the coming months.
“Kevin’s drive and skills will be critical in ramping up our SOLO mass production and establishing our assembly facility in the U.S.,” said Henry Reisner. “I look forward to working with Kevin and the team to propel ElectraMeccanica to the next level, while giving me time to focus on the e-Roadster vehicle line.”
In their new roles, both Pavlov and Reisner will report directly to Paul Rivera, who, as part of these changes, assumes the additional title of president along with remaining CEO of the company.
“On behalf of ElectraMeccanica’s Executive Team and Board of Directors, I would like to officially welcome Kevin to our organization,” said ElectraMeccanica President and CEO Paul Rivera. “Kevin’s substantial experience in electric vehicle development, production and delivery will bring a diverse and welcomed skillset to our organization. Kevin is a known entity within the industry and has worked alongside me in previous roles. For the past six months, he has served as an executive consultant to ElectraMeccanica and has already integrated into our organization. I am confident and excited in his ability to hit the ground running.”
Pavlov added, “I take great pride in joining Paul and the ElectraMeccanica organization by working alongside great people by converting individual energies into synergies. In the near term, my focus remains on rapidly scaling production of the flagship SOLO EV. In addition to ensuring near-term execution, I look forward to working with our President and CEO to build out our Mesa, Arizona, assembly facility and map out the next evolution of the vehicle line development.”
Rivera commented, “On a final note, on behalf of the entire Board, I would also like to extend my thanks and gratitude to Henry Reisner, who has built a solid foundation for ElectraMeccanica. His automotive expertise and involvement with the company since its inception will continue to play a substantial part in our go-forward strategy.”
