Tesla’s Cybertruck chief is leaving the company after more than eight years, the latest in a string of high-profile departures that have plagued the electric-vehicle maker.
Siddhant Awasthi announced his exit from Elon Musk’s automaker late Sunday.
He started at Tesla as an intern, working his way up to lead the Cybertruck division from the engineering stage to mass production. He also recently took on the Model 3 program.
Awasthi’s responsibilities included leading efforts in product strategy, quality enhancements and supply chain management, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Tesla reported record deliveries in the third quarter as American customers rushed to take advantage of $7,500 tax credits on EV purchases.
But analysts are widely expecting the automaker to suffer a steep sales slump in the fourth quarter since that incentive expired on Sept. 30.
In an attempt to boost sales, Tesla has been offering thousands of dollars worth of discounts on its vehicles over the past few months.
The automaker has suffered several blows as top execs have fled the firm en masse.
Troy Jones, top sales executive in North America, left the firm in July. He spent 15 years with the company, The Wall Street Journal earlier reported.
His departure came less than a month after Omead Afshar, Musk’s top aide, fled the company.
Over the summer, Tesla also lost Jenna Ferrua, a human resources executive overseeing the North America division.
Milan Kovac, the firm’s top AI executive, also left the company earlier this year.
It has been trampled by increased EV competition, especially from Chinese firms like BYD – an embarrassing topple after Musk once scoffed at the idea that BYD could ever be a rival.
But the company has surpassed Tesla to become the world’s largest manufacturer of EVs, pushing past $100 billion in revenue for the first time last year.
While Musk’s stint at the Department of Government Efficiency – his White House cost-cutting agency – only lasted 130 days, it appeared to create brand damage across his portfolio.
Angry demonstrators have set Tesla vehicles ablaze and vandalized showrooms, even hosting a protest on the opening day of Musk’s Tesla diner in Hollywood.
Tesla execs have largely shrugged off the matter, saying its Full Self-Driving technology and humanoid robots stand to make a mint.
Shareholders approved Musk’s $1 trillion pay package last week after he threatened to leave the company if he didn’t get it.
The staggering pay package is the largest on record, and hinges on a series of lofty performance metrics being reached over the next decade.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
