Tesla is experiencing yet another significant leadership transition, as the executive overseeing Elon Musk’s highly publicized, so-called “apocalypse-proof” pickup truck — the Cybertruck — is departing the company. Siddhant Awasthi, who held responsibility for both Tesla’s Cybertruck and its landmark Model 3 programs, announced on Monday via a post on the social platform X that he would be leaving the electric-vehicle manufacturer after an eight-year tenure. His decision marks the end of a career at Tesla that began humbly as an internship and evolved into a leading role on one of the company’s most ambitious vehicle projects.
Awasthi’s journey within Tesla is emblematic of the company’s ability to cultivate internal talent. After joining as an intern, he contributed to multiple milestones — most notably to the 2023 launch of the Cybertruck, the stainless steel–clad vehicle that became a focal point of Tesla’s futuristic design philosophy and resilience-driven engineering. Although his public statement did not include a specific explanation for his departure, the tone of his message suggested continued admiration for the company’s mission and its leadership. In his farewell note, Awasthi expressed gratitude toward Elon Musk, acknowledging the CEO’s influence on his career and alluding to Tesla’s most recent corporate milestone — the shareholder approval of Musk’s monumental $1 trillion pay package during last week’s annual meeting.
He concluded his remarks by reaffirming confidence in Tesla’s ability to achieve its next major objective, hinting that the company remains well positioned for future breakthroughs despite his exit. Awasthi wrote that he believed Tesla would successfully “nail its next big mission,” expressing both optimism for the company’s direction and enthusiasm for the next chapter of his own professional life.
According to updates reflected on his LinkedIn profile, Awasthi also assumed leadership of the Model 3 program in July, underscoring the trust Tesla had placed in him to steer two of its core products. His departure continues a notable pattern of executive turnover within the organization over recent months. This year alone has seen the exit of several high-profile Tesla figures. Milan Kovac, who had been at the helm of the Optimus humanoid robot project, announced his resignation in June. Roughly around that period, Omead Afshar, one of Musk’s close operations lieutenants, was reported to have been dismissed. Additional exits followed, including those of Troy Jones — Tesla’s vice president and head of North American sales — who departed during the summer, and Vineet Mehta, the director overseeing battery technology, who revealed plans to step down in April. The list extended further when Peter Bannon, head of Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer initiative, left in August after Musk decided to discontinue the ambitious project. Each of these transitions underscores the company’s internal flux as it continues balancing aggressive innovation with operational execution.
Awasthi’s resignation comes at a particularly delicate moment for Tesla’s product strategy. Cybertruck sales have been slower than initially projected, signaling ongoing challenges in converting the vehicle’s intense media attention into consistent market performance. According to data compiled by Cox Automotive, Tesla managed to sell only about 16,000 Cybertruck units during the first three quarters of the year — a figure dramatically short of Elon Musk’s earlier projection that production could eventually scale to 250,000 units annually. This discrepancy reflects the steep learning curve and complexity involved in manufacturing a radically unconventional vehicle that relies on distinctive materials, such as its angular stainless steel exoskeleton.
In addition to underwhelming sales, the Cybertruck has also contended with several quality-control issues. Over its two-year lifespan, the unconventional trapezoidal electric pickup has been subject to ten separate recalls. The most recent recall affected roughly 6,200 vehicles and was prompted by a seemingly mundane yet potentially hazardous manufacturing flaw: the use of incorrect adhesive on the optional light bar, which created a risk that the component could detach while the vehicle was in motion. While the immediate safety risk was minimal, the incident reinforced concerns about Tesla’s production refinement and supply-chain oversight for newer product lines.
Taken together, these developments paint a picture of a company navigating both the growing pains of industry leadership and the personal shifts that often accompany it. Awasthi’s departure, following a formative eight-year career that spanned Tesla’s evolution from disruptive upstart to a dominant global force in electric mobility, encapsulates the tension between the relentless pursuit of innovation and the human transitions behind it. As Tesla continues to refine its product lineup and consolidate its executive ranks, all eyes remain on how the company will uphold its promise of transforming the automotive landscape while retaining the talent that helped build it.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-cybertruck-lead-leaving-siddhant-awasthi-2025-11
