Tech company LeTV Holdings Co Ltd roped in a former top automobile executive on Thursday in its quest to wrest the electric vehicle crown from Tesla Motors Inc.

Ding Lei, former vice-president of SAIC Motor Corp Ltd, a State-owned automaker, has joined LeTV and become a co-founder of its electric-car unit Leshi Super Electric Car Co, said Jia Yueting, founder and chief executive of LeTV.

Ding is one of the highest-level State-owned automobile executives to head an Internet company-backed electric-car maker. He will serve as the unit's global vice-president and be in charge of its business in China and the Asia-Pacific region.