Microlino News

We are pleased to announce that Jochen Rudat, former Director of Tesla Central Europe, joins the Micro Advisory Board. Jochen was the first employee of Tesla Switzerland in 2009 and contributed to the establishment of the manufacturer in Europe for 10 years. Jochen will support us in the distribution of the Microlino in 2021 and we are pleased to benefit from his experience in sales and marketing. Read the full interview below to find out what motivated him to join us:

 Hi Jochen, can you tell us about your background?

Thanks to my parents' car dealership, I knew early on that I wanted to enter the automotive industry and I prepared myself accordingly. I have worked for different manufacturers, including BMW, Porsche and Tesla, and my experience at Tesla has certainly been the most exciting.

What made you decide to join Tesla in 2009 and what are your achievements at Tesla?

 I first heard about Tesla in 2008 and then I started looking around and asked myself: "What the hell am I still doing at BMW? I realised that the industry was going to change because the big innovation was in electric powertrains and I wanted to be there from the beginning. So in 2009, I started working for Tesla in Switzerland as the first employee. I first worked on development in the Swiss market, then I managed Germany and from 2016 to 2019 I was responsible for the region as Director Central Europe. I am particularly proud to have received the rare award for best employee from Elon Musk and Jérôme Guillen.  

When did you first hear about the Microlino and how did the first contact take place?  

I heard about the Microlino when it was launched and I immediately became very enthusiastic. The first contact took place later at the IAA in Frankfurt. I was there with my father who, as a former driver of the Isetta, immediately wanted to discover the Microlino. We met up at various industry events and that's how the idea of doing something together was born.  

You went from Tesla, the manufacturer of electric sports cars, to Microlino, a start-up for light electric cars. How did that happen?

 I think it's very good, actually! First of all, I like to build things and Microlino is now in the phase where I can bring my sales and marketing experience. Secondly, I know from my thousands of conversations with electric car drivers and interested parties that not everyone wants or can drive a 45,000 Euro Tesla and this is precisely where Microlino opens the door to more accessible electric mobility.  

What made you decide to join the Microlino Advisory Board and what do you see as the main challenges?

I know that there is a market for small electric vehicles and Micro is the first manufacturer to bring sex appeal to this segment. Everyone I showed pictures of the vehicle to was immediately impressed and I feel the same way! We are going to be very busy setting up production'. I've already experienced this at Tesla and I'm looking forward to putting my experience to good use.  

How was Elon Musk as a boss and what would he say about the Microlino?  

When I started at Tesla, there were 400 of us and Elon was always interviewed personally. We talked for an hour and a half about the future of mobility, autonomous driving, electrification, etc. We also talked about the future of the Microlino. Later I had the chance to report directly to Elon, where I learned a lot. His way of not giving up and of tackling problems quickly and iteratively is fascinating. We should ask him what he thinks of the Microlino, I still have his number ;)  

How do you think the future of mobility will be in 10 years?

 The big futurists assume that the trend towards megacities will intensify. Space in cities is becoming increasingly scarce, so I see a rosy future for micro-mobility. There will also be autonomous driving, where the emphasis will be more on the interior of the vehicle, which resembles a living space, and more on the driver. I also think that carpooling with self-starting vehicles is very likely. In my opinion, mobility will change more in the next five years than it has in the last 50 years.