HMM: Tesla’s Longtime Battery Technology Director Kelty Departs.

Kelty joined Tesla in 2006, according to his LinkedIn profile, making him one of the longest-serving executives at the automaker led by Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk. He previously worked for more than 14 years with Panasonic Corp., Tesla’s partner in the gigafactory for battery production near Reno, Nevada. At Tesla, Kelty served as lead negotiator with Panasonic for that facility, according to LinkedIn.

Kelty couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

News of Kelty’s exit comes at a critical juncture for Tesla, which turned over the first batch of Model 3 vehicles to employees Friday night. Tesla began producing the more affordable electric car last month and aims to make 20,000 a month by December, a ramp-up rate Musk told employees would put the company through “production hell.”

Not exactly an auspicious time to exit.