Tesla CFO Zachary Kirkhorn steps down, replaced by Vaibhav Taneja

Taneja joined Tesla after the automaker acquired SolarCity in 2016.

Tesla said on August 7 that Zachary Kirkhorn stepped down as its chief financial officer. The company 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.

The Tesla Chief Financial Officer is departing after 13 years with the electric vehicle and solar panel maker.

Kirkhorn has been CFO for the past four years and was a consistent participant in the company's quarterly earnings conference calls. He will remain with Tesla through the end of the year to “support a seamless transition”, the company said.

"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.

Vaibhav Taneja was named CFO in addition to his current role as chief accounting officer, the company said in a regulatory filing Monday.

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.

The filing gave no reason for the departure, but Tesla has experienced tremendous growth during Kirkhorn's tenure.

(With AP, Reuters inputs)