Tesla has recently lost several key executives responsible for its best-known electric vehicle models. Tesla’s rising star Siddhant Awasthi, who led engineering on the Cybertruck and most recently the Model 3, announced in a LinkedIn post on Sunday that he is leaving the company after eight years. Emmanuel Lamacchia, the project manager for Tesla’s most successful product, the Model Y, also revealed on LinkedIn over the weekend that he was leaving the company after eight years at the company.
Avasti, who began his career at Tesla as an intern and quickly rose through the ranks, did not specify why he left, other than to note that it was not an easy decision given Tesla’s “exciting growth on the horizon.” He earned a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Cincinnati in 2017 and became a project manager for the Cybertruck and Model 3 in just five years. According to his LinkedIn page, Avasti oversees product strategy, quality improvement and supply chain management for the oddly shaped truck.
cybertruck have beset by problems Since its launch in 2023, it has been largely considered a commercial failure for Tesla. The company stopped selling the base Cybertruck model, which starts at $70,000, in September due to weak demand. In March, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) forced Tesla to recall almost all of the more than 46,000 Cybertrucks it sold because of an engineering defect that caused exterior panels to fall off when the vehicles were driven. Last month, Tesla issued another large-scale recall of 63,000 Cybertrucks because the headlights were too bright and dangerous.
It has also become emblematic of a broader rightward political shift in the United States since Donald Trump was re-elected last year. The electric pickup truck, known by nicknames such as the “MAGAmobile” and “Deplorean,” has been associated with Elon Musk’s right-wing views, his close relationship with Trump and his involvement with the Department of Government Effectiveness early in Trump’s second term.
Financially, Musk’s political leanings have hurt Tesla’s business, driving away many former fans of the brand. In October, Tesla reported its fourth consecutive quarter of profit decline despite rising sales. Cybertruck registrations fell 63% year over year in the third quarter, and Tesla has been offering deep discounts as demand plummets and the federal $7,500 tax credit expires (the Trump administration’s tax credit ends in September). According to Electrek, in order to increase sales, some Tesla dealers have begun leasing Cybertruck through their showrooms.
Even as its electric car business continues to struggle, Tesla has set ambitious goals for its next chapter powered by artificial intelligence. Last week, shareholders approved Musk’s massive pay plan that will incentivize the CEO to increase the company’s market value to $8.5 trillion by 2035.
