Becky Peterson

The surprise increase was the first since the electric-car maker’s earnings began to slide earlier this year as it turned to deep price cuts and other sales promotions to stimulate sales.

Omead Afshar, who used to work in the office of the CEO, has moved into a vice president role with sales and manufacturing operations under him.

The electric-car maker also unveiled a second vehicle, a Robovan, designed to shuttle up to 20 people at a time.

The company’s global deliveries rebounded in the third quarter, reversing earlier declines that had stoked concerns about its ability to grow its car business.

Rollouts have lagged behind while the company is adding partners and getting more public funding for charging stations.

Under a proposed arrangement, the startup would give Tesla access to its AI technology in exchange for a slice of the carmaker’s software revenue.

Leading a government efficiency commission would give Musk influence over the federal agencies that regulate his empire, including SpaceX and Tesla.

An exodus of longtime leaders comes as the company confronts uncertainty in its core EV business.