Siddhant Awasthi, the Indian engineer who led Tesla’s Cybertruck program, has announced his departure from the company after more than eight years.
Awasthi, who began at Tesla as an intern in 2017, rose quickly through the ranks to oversee one of the carmaker’s most high-profile projects — the Cybertruck, from design to large-scale production. He also took charge of the Model 3 programme in July last year.
“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,” Awasthi wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I recently made one of the hardest decisions of my life to leave Tesla after an incredible run. It’s been an absolute privilege filled with mostly high-intensity days working alongside talented, driven, and truly rockstar colleagues.”
Originally from Bengaluru, Awasthi studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya before earning a degree in electronics and communication engineering from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering. He later completed his master’s at the University of Cincinnati.
While he didn’t reveal what’s next, Awasthi reflected on his rapid rise inside Tesla, saying he 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.”
Awasthi also thanked Tesla boss Elon Musk and the EV-maker’s leadership for their guidance. “I want to extend a huge thanks to Elon, all Tesla leaders (past and present), mentors, and our amazing customers (huge shoutout!) who’ve fuelled my drive and kept me pushing forward through it all.”
Acknowledging Tesla’s challenges, he wrote, “This decision wasn’t easy, especially with so much exciting growth on the horizon. Tesla vehicles are incredibly complex systems that often don’t get the credit they deserve, but I’ve seen firsthand how they’ve changed lives and improved safety.”
Awasthi’s exit comes at a turbulent time for Tesla. Between November 2023 and early 2024, the company produced over 46,000 Cybertrucks, but the vehicle faced recalls and slowing sales. Tesla’s third-quarter profit also dropped 37% year-on-year to $1.4 billion, marking its fourth straight quarterly decline.
Signing off, Awasthi said he remains optimistic about Tesla’s future: “I’m confident Tesla will nail its next big mission and I’m truly excited about the next chapter of my life.”
– Ends
