Siddhant Awasthi, head of Tesla's Cybertruck program, has announced his departure after more than eight years with the company. This exit adds to a series of high-level talent losses as Tesla shifts toward AI, robotics, and robotaxi technologies. The move highlights ongoing challenges in attracting and retaining engineering talent crucial for innovation.
Tesla's year has been marked by volatility for investors. Shares dropped early in 2025 due to consumer backlash, an aging vehicle lineup, lawsuits over Full Self-Driving technology, and a global sales decline. They later rebounded on hype around artificial intelligence, robotics, and robotaxi developments.
The latest departure is Siddhant Awasthi, who joined Tesla as an intern over eight years ago and rose to lead the Cybertruck program, overseeing its large-scale production and product strategy. He also took charge of the Model 3 program last July. Despite the Cybertruck's controversial design and higher-than-expected price leading to perceptions of it as a commercial flop, Awasthi's exit underscores Tesla's broader talent issues during its transition from automaker to technology firm.
Other significant departures include Piero Landolfi, former director of North American service, who left after nearly nine years over the summer; Troy Jones, top North American sales executive, after 15 years; Raj Jegannathan, senior executive in IT and data functions; Omead Afshar, overseeing sales and manufacturing in North America and Europe; Milan Kovac, head of the Optimus humanoid robot team; Vineet Mehta, top battery executive; and David Lau, software chief.
Evidence points to difficulties in talent retention. In 2020, Tesla ranked first among U.S. companies for engineering students, per Universum surveys, but slipped to ninth in 2025. Tesla's brand value fell 35% to $29.5 billion, dropping from 12th to 25th in the Interbrand Best Global Brands report, while competitor BYD entered the top 100 for the first time.
Tesla faces headwinds including an aging lineup, stiff competition in China, sluggish U.S. demand after tax credit removal, and backlash from CEO Elon Musk's political activities. Addressing the talent exodus is critical for its ambitions in AI, robotics, and robotaxis.