Chris Eckert
About Chris Eckert
Chris Eckert is the Director of Cab at Nikola Motor Company, leading teams to develop first-to-market vehicles. He has extensive experience in automotive design and engineering, having worked at companies like BYTON, NIO, Tesla Motors, and Ford Motor Company.
Current Role at Nikola Motor Company
Chris Eckert serves as the Director of Cab at Nikola Motor Company, a role he has held since 2019. Based in the Phoenix, Arizona Area, he leads teams across diverse sectors including big rig, off-road, and watersports. He focuses on building a fully diverse and agile team capable of adapting from white paper to production. His personal goals include releasing three first-to-market vehicles.
Previous Experience at BYTON
From 2017 to 2019, Chris Eckert worked at BYTON as Sr. Manager Interiors in Santa Clara. During his two-year tenure, he was responsible for overseeing the interior design strategy and engineering efforts for the company's vehicle lineup.
Work at NIO and Further Experience
Before joining BYTON, Chris Eckert served as Interior Engineering Manager at NIO from 2016 to 2017 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to that, he spent five years at Tesla Motors as Sr. Mechanical Engineer, where he worked on various engineering projects.
Background in Mechanical Design and Engineering
Earlier in his career, Chris Eckert held several engineering roles. At Bayside Group Inc., he was Sr. Designer/Engineer contracted to Ford Motor Co. from 2008 to 2011 in Melbourne, Australia. He also worked as a Design Engineer at Toyota USA (2007-2008), and as a Designer/Engineer at Group Lotus plc (2006-2007) and Ford Motor Company (2004-2006). He began his journey in the industry as a Designer at Magna Exteriors and Magna Interiors from 2000 to 2004.
Educational Background
Chris Eckert has an academic foundation in Mechanical Engineering and Business Administration. He studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan from 2001 to 2003 and prior to that, at Henry Ford College from 1998 to 2001. He also studied Business Administration, Management, and Operations at Macomb Community College from 2000 to 2001.