ElectraMeccanica Vehicles Corp, a designer and manufacturer of electric vehicles, has announced the appointment of Joseph Mitchell as chief operating officer of the company, effective on April 1.

Mitchell brings decades of experience in the automotive industry and most recently served as the CEO at Phoenix Motorcars, a subsidiary of SPI Energy, a global renewable energy company and provider of solar storage EV solutions.

Mitchell was responsible for full P&L, strategic and business planning, operation planning and creating the product roadmap for Phoenix Motorcars. Previously, he served as president, CEO and a director of UQM Technologies Inc., a leading supplier of electric propulsion systems for the commercial and automotive EV markets.

UQM was acquired by Danfoss Power Solutions, where Mitchell played an integral role in the company’s merger. In that respect he had direct management of all functions, including sales, engineering, operations, purchasing and finance, interfacing with the Danfoss European organization to ensure a successful integration post-merger.

Mitchell began his career at the Ford Motor Co. as a quality engineer in the glass division. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Niagara University, and a Masters in Business Administration from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Kevin Pavlov, CEO of ElectraMeccanica, commented, “I am pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Mitchell as our Chief Operating Officer. His decades in the automotive industry as an experienced leader challenging the status quo to shape and steer innovation is directly aligned with ElectraMeccanica’s mission. Joe has had significant expertise driving growth, competitive positioning and profitability across emerging markets. I look forward to working Joe and welcome him to the team.”

Mitchell added, “I am excited to join ElectraMeccanica at such a pivotal time in the Company’s history as deliveries of the Company’s iconic SOLO EV are rolled out nationwide. I look forward to leveraging my industry expertise to further fuel growth, maximize profitability and position the company for continued success.”