Two key Tesla executives, Siddhant Awasthi and Emmanuel Lamacchia, announced their departures from the company on November 10, 2025, after eight years each. Awasthi led the Cybertruck and Model 3 programs, while Lamacchia oversaw the Model Y, Tesla's best-selling vehicle. The exits add to a series of high-profile departures amid slowing sales and a strategic shift toward AI and robotics.
Siddhant Awasthi, who joined Tesla as an intern in 2017, rose to become program manager for the Cybertruck in September 2022 and took on the Model 3 role in July 2025. In a LinkedIn post, he described his tenure as 'a thrilling journey' involving the Model 3 ramp-up, Giga Shanghai development, and Cybertruck delivery, calling his departure 'one of the hardest decisions of my life.' He expressed confidence in Tesla's future, noting 'exciting growth on the horizon' following the recent shareholder approval of Elon Musk's potential $1 trillion pay package.
Hours later, Emmanuel Lamacchia announced his exit after nearly eight years, having served as Model Y vehicle program manager for four years and seven months. Lamacchia highlighted leading the 'All-New Model Y launch,' converting four factories across three continents in two weeks—a feat he said had never been done in the auto industry. Under his watch, the Model Y became the world's best-selling vehicle for two years, with over 1 million units delivered globally last year.
These back-to-back announcements mark the second and third major vehicle program losses in 2025, following earlier exits like Daniel Ho (Model 3) and David Zhang (Model S/X). Tesla has seen broader turnover, including Omead Afshar (sales and manufacturing), Troy Jones (North America sales), and Milan Kovac (Optimus team). The company faces challenges: Cybertruck sales dropped 38% year-to-date to 16,097 units through Q3, far below Musk's 250,000 annual target, amid multiple recalls, including 63,000 vehicles for overly bright front lights in October and 46,000 for detaching panels in March. Tesla's Q3 profit fell 37% to $1.4 billion despite a delivery surge before the $7,500 U.S. EV tax credit expired on September 30. Analysts expect a Q4 sales slump, though shares rose 3.7% to $445.23 on November 11 amid the news.
