Why Tesla’s Cybertruck chief Siddhant Awasthi is leaving after 8 years —what it means for the EV giant

Siddhant Awasthi, who most recently led Tesla’s Cybertruck program, announced late Sunday that he is leaving the company after more than eight years.

According to his LinkedIn profile, he oversaw the Cybertruck from its engineering stage to full-scale production, managing product strategy, quality improvements, and supply chain operations. He did not provide a reason for his departure.

In addition to the Cybertruck, Awasthi also took on leadership of Tesla’s Model 3 program last July. Tesla shares rose 3.6% on Monday following news of the executive’s departure from one of its most high-profile programs, Reuters reports.

Reflecting on his journey, he wrote on social media: "Eight years ago, when I started as an intern, I never dreamed I’d one day have the opportunity to lead the Cybertruck program and bring it to reality."

Calling his exit “one of the hardest decisions” of his life, Awasthi thanked Tesla’s leadership, including CEO Elon Musk, mentors, and colleagues:
"It’s been an absolute privilege working alongside talented, driven, and truly rockstar colleagues across Tesla."

Although he did not reveal his next move, Awasthi said he remains optimistic about Tesla’s future: "Tesla vehicles are incredibly complex systems that often don’t get the credit they deserve, but I’ve witnessed firsthand how they’ve changed lives."

In his farewell note, he concluded: "I’m confident Tesla will nail its next big mission… and I’m truly excited about the next chapter of my life."

Awasthi began his journey at Tesla as an intern, eventually rising to oversee the Cybertruck program—managing its engineering, production, product strategy, quality, and supply chain operations. In July last year, he also took charge of Tesla’s Model 3 program, further expanding his leadership role within the company.

Reflecting on his journey on LinkedIn, he wrote:
"Eight years ago, when I started as an intern, I never dreamed I’d one day have the opportunity to lead the Cybertruck program and bring it to reality."

By the age of 30, Awasthi had contributed to several of Tesla’s major initiatives, including:

He joined Tesla full-time in 2018 after working on a hyperloop school project, became an engineering manager within two years, and later advanced to senior technical program manager for the Cybertruck’s 48V architecture. By late 2022, as Tesla geared up for Cybertruck production, he was promoted to head of the electric truck program.

Awasthi’s tenure coincided with both milestones and challenges for Tesla’s electric pickup. Between November 2023 and early 2024, 46,096 Cybertrucks were produced, according to U.S. recall filings.

However, the vehicle faced repeated recalls and slower-than-expected sales, with Tesla offering discounts on inventory vehicles. Only about 16,000 Cybertrucks were sold in the first three quarters of 2024—far short of the company’s initial 250,000-unit target.

The vehicle has also been at the center of a lawsuit following a fatal crash in California.

Awasthi’s departure follows several other senior-level exits from Tesla in recent months:

Tesla recently reported its fourth consecutive quarterly profit decline, with Q3 earnings down 37% year-over-year to $1.4 billion, or $0.39 per share. Revenues, however, increased due to a rush of buyers taking advantage of a $7,500 federal EV tax credit before its expiry on October 1. Analysts warn this could lead to a slowdown in Q4 sales.

Last week, Tesla shareholders voted overwhelmingly—more than 75% in favor—to approve Elon Musk’s massive compensation package, potentially worth up to $1 trillion, contingent on meeting performance goals over the next decade.