Tesla names insider Vaibhav Taneja CFO as Zachary Kirkhorn steps down

Tesla finance chief Zachary Kirkhorn has stepped down, surprising analysts who considered the 13-year veteran as a possible successor to CEO Elon Musk and sending the shares of the electric automaker down 3.5% on Monday.

The company did not give a reason for his exit. Accounting head Vaibhav Taneja, who joined Tesla through the $2.6 billion deal for Solarcity in 2016, will replace Kirkhorn.