Tesla CFO Kirkhorn steps down, replaced by company insider Taneja

Tesla said on Monday that Zachary Kirkhorn stepped down as its chief financial officer and named its accounting head, Vaibhav Taneja, as its new finance chief, sending shares of the electric vehicle maker down 1% in trading before the bell.

Kirkhorn, a company veteran of 13 years, stepped down from the role on Friday, although he will remain with Tesla through the end of the year.

The Elon Musk-led firm did not specify a reason for Kirkhorn's departure.

"Being a part of this company is a special experience and I'm extremely proud of the work we've done together since I joined over 13 years ago," Kirkhorn said in a LinkedIn post.

Taneja joined Tesla after the automaker acquired SolarCity in 2016. He takes on the CFO role in addition to his role as chief accounting officer, the automaker said.