Cybertruck Leader Leaves Tesla After 8 Years

The executive leading Tesla's Cybertruck business is leaving the Elon Musk-run automaker after eight years. Siddhant Awasthi, the program manager for Tesla's Cybertruck and Model 3, said on LinkedIn that it wasn't an easy decision to depart the company, "especially with so much exciting growth on the horizon." He did not provide details on what he will be doing next, the AP reports. Awasthi said he began as an intern at Tesla and was involved in "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."

• Last month, Tesla announced that it was recalling more than 63,000 Cybertrucks in the US because the front lights are too bright, which may cause a distraction to other drivers and increase the risk of a collision.
• In March, US safety regulators recalled virtually all Cybertrucks then on the road. The NHTSA's recall, which covered more than 46,000 Cybertrucks, warned that an exterior panel that runs along the left and right side of the windshield can detach while driving, creating a dangerous road hazard for other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
• Tesla reported a fourth straight decline in quarterly profit in October, even as sales rose—though not for Cybertrucks. That marked the fourth quarter in a row that profit dropped. And the revenue rise, a welcome relief from a sales plunge earlier in the year due to anti-Musk boycotts, came with a significant caveat: Customers rushed to take advantage of a $7,500 federal EV tax credit before it expired on Oct. 1, possibly stealing sales from the current quarter.
• While Tesla continues to have difficulties, last week Musk won a shareholder vote that would give him stock worth $1 trillion if he hits certain performance targets over the next decade.
• Awasthi is the latest exec to leave Tesla in what Bloomberg calls a "growing exodus." Those who have moved on include Milan Kovacs, head of engineering for the Optimus robot, and David Lau, vice president of software engineering. Lau departed for OpenAI after 13 years with Tesla. CNBC reported in June that Omead Afshar, vice president of manufacturing and operations and a longtime Musk aide, had been fired amid falling sales.