Gene Berdichevsky
Gene Berdichevsky is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sila Nanotechnologies, a chemicals and materials company making state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery materials. Prior to this, he worked as the 7th employee at Tesla Motors, an electric vehicle and clean energy company headquartered in Palo Alto, California. While at the company, Berdichevsky served as the Principal Engineer on the Roadster battery, leading the development of the world's first, safe, mass-produced, automotive lithium-ion battery system.
Gene Berdichevsky Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
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Battery System Architect and Technical Lead
Academic History
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MS in Energy Engineering
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BS in Mechanical Engineering
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
- Berdichevsky was born in Sevastopol, Ukraine.
- He emigrated to the United States when he was 9 years old via Murmansk and St. Petersburg.
- He and his parents are naturalized citizens.
- While at Stanford University, he participated in the Stanford Solar Car Project. The student-designed vehicle finished a 2,300-mile race between Chicago and Los Angeles.
BATTERIES
- Berdichevsky was instrumental in solving one of Tesla's primary challenges: thousands of lithium-ion batteries intended to pack into its electric sports car caught fire far more often than manufacturers claimed. His solution: a combination of heat transfer materials, cooling channels, and battery arrangements that ensured any fire would be self-contained.
- He helped develop the batteries for Tesla's Roadster and Model S.
- At Sila Nano, among his many projects is the “forever battery,” a lithium-ion battery that would last three decades.
PATENTS AND PUBLICATIONS
- Berdichevsky has co-authored at least 42 patents and 4 academic publications.
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
- Forbes 30 under 30
- MIT Technology Review 35 Under 35
- Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans