Former Tesla designer Peter Blades has left the automaker to join Los Angeles-based aviation startup Skyryse as vice president of design, according to a Skyryse press release last week. Blades will report to Skyryse CEO and founder Mark Groden.
"Joining Skyryse is a fantastic opportunity," Blades said in the release. "To again have the chance to match this type of transformative technology with a fresh and new perspective on design is an amazing and humbling opportunity."
Blades’ experience at Tesla and SpaceX could help Skyryse modernize aviation cockpits. The startup’s drive-by-wire helicopter features one control stick and two touchscreen displays, eliminating the need for complex switches and gauges that pilots typically use. It's similar to Tesla’s vehicles, which lack many traditional vehicle buttons, knobs and switches.
"Until now, cockpit design has been an afterthought in aviation," Groden said in the release. "Peter's mission is to bring his innovative design approach to further elevate the Skyryse One interior – and all of our future aircraft design."
The former Tesla executive previously led interior design for the Model 3, Model Y, as well as the semi-truck and 2017 Roadster concepts. He also worked for SpaceX on concept designs for the interior of the Crew Dragon reusable spacecraft, which is primarily used for flights to the International Space Station.
Before joining Tesla, Blades held several interior design roles in the auto industry. During his tenure at Nissan Design America from 2012 to 2014, Blades worked on human-machine interface and user experience design for the Infiniti brand. He also served in several roles for General Motors, including leading interior design for the automaker’s mid-size trucks in North America. Blades also spent two years at Kia working on interior designs for the company’s concept and production vehicles.
