The man who designed the Volvo XC40 heads to … Tesla?

The man who designed the exterior of the XC40 has left Volvo.The man who designed the exterior of the XC40 has left Volvo.
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A fresh report out of the United Kingdom suggests that the young man who designed the exterior of the Volvo XC40 has left the Swedish automaker, reportedly taking up a position with Tesla.

According to Auto Express (and confirmed by his LinkedIn profile), British designer Ian Kettle quietly left Volvo back in February 2018.

The publication added that “a few weeks ago” Kettle had moved into a senior design role at electric automaker Tesla, reporting to design director, Franz von Holzhausen.

However, the US brand opted not to confirm the appointment to Auto Express, even though Kettle’s online biography listed his latest location as the “greater Los Angeles area”.

The XC40, which was named the European Car of the Year for 2018 in March, has proven more popular than even the resurgent Gothenburg-based had expected, prompting plans to expand production early in 2019.

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Ryan Bubear

Ryan has spent most of his career in online media, writing about everything from sport to politics and other forms of crime. But his true passion – reignited by a 1971 Austin Mini Mk3 still tucked lifeless in a dark corner of his garage – is of the automotive variety.