Tesla’s Cybertruck Chief Departs After More Than Eight Years Amid Executive Exodus
Tesla’s Cybertruck division head, Siddhant Awasthi, has announced his departure from the electric vehicle giant, marking the latest in a series of high-profile executive exits that have challenged the company. Awasthi’s exit was disclosed late Sunday, ending a tenure that began with an internship and culminated in leading the Cybertruck program from initial engineering stages through to mass production. He had recently taken on responsibilities for the Model 3 program as well.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Awasthi’s role encompassed product strategy, quality improvements, and supply chain management. His leadership was integral during a critical phase for Tesla’s expanding lineup.
Tesla recently celebrated record deliveries in the third quarter, driven by American customers eager to capitalize on the $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. However, analysts widely anticipate a sharp decline in sales during the fourth quarter after the incentive expired on September 30.
To counter the expected sales slump, Tesla has offered substantial discounts on its vehicles over recent months. Despite these efforts, the automaker has faced significant challenges, including a wave of executive departures.
Notable exits include Troy Jones, Tesla’s North America top sales executive, who left in July after 15 years at the company, as The Wall Street Journal reported. Jones’s departure followed less than a month after Omead Afshar, CEO Elon Musk’s top aide, also left Tesla. Additionally, Jenna Ferrua, head of human resources for Tesla’s North America division, and Milan Kovac, the company’s leading AI executive, departed earlier this year.
Tesla is also grappling with intensified competition in the electric vehicle market, particularly from Chinese manufacturers such as BYD. Once dismissed by Musk as unlikely rivals, BYD has surpassed Tesla to become the world’s largest EV manufacturer, pushing past $100 billion in revenue in the past year alone.
Musk’s brief 130-day tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency — a White House cost-cutting initiative — appears to have inadvertently impacted Tesla’s brand reputation. Angry demonstrators have targeted Tesla vehicles and showrooms with vandalism and arson, including staging protests on the opening day of Musk’s Tesla diner in Hollywood.
Despite these setbacks, Tesla executives remain optimistic about the company’s future. They highlight potential revenue from Full Self-Driving technology and humanoid robots as promising growth areas.
In other news, shareholders recently approved Musk’s unprecedented $1 trillion compensation package, which was secured following Musk’s threat to leave Tesla if the deal was not approved. This staggering package is the largest ever recorded and is contingent upon achieving ambitious performance milestones over the next decade.
As Tesla navigates this turbulent period of leadership changes and market pressures, all eyes remain on how the company will maintain its position in the rapidly evolving EV landscape.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/10/business/teslas-cybertruck-chief-quits-after-more-than-eight-years-in-latest-high-profile-exit/