As planned, Tesla Inc. on March 13 appointed Zachary Kirkhorn as its CFO. In the same announcement, the electric-car maker appointed Vaibhav Taneja its chief accounting officer.

Kirkhorn replaced Deepak Ahuja, whose retirement was announced in January. The new CFO joined Tesla in 2010 and most recently was vice president for finance and business operations. Taneja is the company's corporate controller.

As part of the appointment, Kirkhorn will receive a stock option grant worth $12 million and a restricted stock unit grant of $4 million, granted over the next four years. Taneja will receive a stock option grant worth $6 million and a restricted stock unit grant of $2 million, also granted over the next four years.

Ahuja will stay on as a senior adviser for "years to come," CEO Elon Musk said on an analyst call at the end of January when the company reported its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings.