Tesla’s cybertruck chief departs EV-maker
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The news: Head of Tesla’s cybertruck program, Siddhant Awasthi, is leaving the company as the company struggles with consistent sales.
The context: Awasthi said via LinkedIn that he is leaving Tesla after three years in the post, which saw him oversee development and expansion of the company’s cybertruck. He had also managed the Model 3 program since July this year.
“This decision wasn’t easy, especially with so much exciting growth on the horizon,” Awasthi wrote.
Awasthi, who has been with the company for a total of eight years – starting out as an intern – did not specify what he’ll do next. He wrote: “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. The icing on the cake was getting to dive back into Model 3 work toward the end.”
In April this year Tesla’s vice president of software engineering left for OpenAI after almost 13 years.
The numbers: The news comes as Tesla’s sales in China dropped to 26,006 vehicles in October, the lowest level in three years, as it continues to struggle with weakening demand in the competitive market. Data from the China Passenger Car Association showed on Monday saw sales fell 35.8% from a year earlier, down from September's figure of 71,525.
