The Tesla Cybertruck program manager leaves Tesla without much warning. Tesla Cybertruck chief Siddhant Awasthi’s sudden departure leaves many questions.
Siddhant Awasthi started at Tesla as an intern eight years ago. By the time he hit 30, he was running the entire Cybertruck program and overseeing the Model 3 lineup. Now he’s out. Awasthi announced his departure on LinkedIn Sunday night, calling it one of the toughest choices he’s ever made. He didn’t say where he was headed next or why he was leaving.
Keys to the Cybertruck kingdom
His rise through Tesla was unusually fast. Within two years of joining full-time in 2018, he became an engineering manager. By 2022, right before Cybertruck production kicked off, he was leading the whole program. He handled everything from engineering and quality improvements to supply chain management and brought the truck from the drawing board to actual deliveries in late 2023.
Cybertruck sales challenges and recalls
The Cybertruck hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. Sales hit only 16,000 units in the first three quarters of 2024, way below Tesla’s original 250,000 target. The truck has been recalled multiple times, including one recall for over 6,200 vehicles, because someone used the wrong glue on an optional light bar that could fly off. There’s also a lawsuit after a fatal crash involving a Cybertruck in California. These challenges can be linked back to the quality control department at Tesla, but also from a rush to get the Cybertruck into production after promising it four years earlier. Still, these challenges could be part of why Tesla Cybertruck chief Siddhant Awasthi has had a sudden departure from the company.
Tesla executive exodus 2025, it seems pretty typical of Tesla
Despite going from Tesla intern to an executive promotion very quickly, Awasthi chose to leave the company after eight years and a rocket ship of a first career. Awasthi’s exit adds to a growing list of senior people leaving Tesla this year. Tesla’s profits dropped for the fourth straight quarter, down 37% year-over-year to $1.4 billion in Q3. Despite the challenges, Awasthi thanked Elon Musk and his Tesla colleagues, saying he’s confident the company will hit its next big goals. Tesla’s stock actually went up 3.6% the day after he announced he was leaving. This departure also leaves a hole in the Tesla Model 3 leadership group, which will require a quick change for the company’s most affordable EV to continue to thrive.
A tough decision handled with grace and professionalism
As Tesla Cybertruck chief Siddhant Awasthi began his departure from the company through a LinkedIn post, he wrote some kind words and summed up his time in a positive way.
“It’s tough to sum up eight years in just a few lines, but what a thrilling journey it’s been: ramping up Model 3, working on Giga Shanghai, developing new electronics and wireless architectures, and delivering the once-in-a-lifetime Cybertruck – all before hitting 30. This decision wasn’t easy, especially with so much exciting growth on the horizon.”
– Siddhant Awasthi
The head of the Model Y also leaves Tesla
If any of the Tesla model leaders should have been safe from scrutiny or departure, it would be the head of the Model Y. That said, the vehicle’s program manager, Emmanuel Lamacchia, also announced his departure on the same day that Tesla Cybertruck chief Siddhant Awasthi announced his departure from the company. These two executives are the latest in a long line of personnel changes at the top of the ladder for the brand.
Lamacchia also left with kind words:
“Leading the All-New Model Y launch was the highlight: converting all 4 factories across 2 continents in just 2 weeks. Something that has never been done before in the auto industry.”
-Emmanuel Lamacchia
Other executives left Tesla recently
Tesla Cybertruck chief Siddhant Awasthi’s and Model Y program manager Emmanuel Lamacchia’s departures from the company are only the most recent changes at the top of Tesla. Most recently, Omead Afshar, who was a close advisor to Elon Musk and oversaw sales and manufacturing operations across North America and Europe, left in June. Troy Jones, vice president of sales for North America, left in July after spending 15 years at the company.
Who will take over as the chief of Tesla Cybertruck production and Model 3 operations? Will Tesla hire outside executives or promote them from within, like it did with Siddhant Awasthi? The future of Tesla and other electric vehicle automakers is concerning. Strangely, neither of the two Tesla execs who left this week mentioned what they plan to do next.
