Tesla’s Cybertruck and Model 3 program manager said on Sunday he has decided to leave the company, more than eight years after joining as an intern.
At Tesla, Siddhant Awasthi managed the product platforms of the Cybertruck (from late 2022) and the Model 3 since last July.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Awasthi developed the product roadmap and cross-functional coordination for design, engineering, production, service and finance.
In 2023, Tesla‘s CEO Elon Musk projected an annual production rate of 250,000 units “probably sometime in 2025.”
According to quarterly data released by Cox Automotive, the model represented 5,385 of Tesla‘s 179,525 vehicles sold from July through September.
Compared to the third quarter of 2024, sales have plunged by 62.6% — from 14,416 units. Year to date, the decline stood at 38% as of the end of September.
Earlier this year, the Elon Musk-led company launched a more affordable version of the Cybertruck in North America.
However, just five months after its long-awaited debut, the company has discontinued production of the trim in September.
Tesla’s Cybertruck Lead Engineer Wes Morrill reacted on X to Awasthi’s decision praising his “enthusiasm figure it out whatever it was in the moment.”
“Appreciate your partnership, knowing I could count on you no matter what challenge we had to face,” Wes Morrill wrote. “Your enthusiasm to figure it out (whatever it was in the moment) was maybe the first time my eternal optimism met it’s match and I knew we could figure out anything together.”
Here’s the full statement shared by Awasthi on X and LinkedIn.
“I recently made one of the hardest decisions of my life to leave Tesla after an incredible run. 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.
“It’s been an absolute privilege filled with mostly high-intensity days—working alongside talented, driven, and truly rockstar colleagues across Tesla.
I want to extend a huge thanks to Elon, all Tesla leaders (past and present), mentors, and our amazing customers (huge shoutout!) who’ve fueled my drive and kept me pushing forward through it all.
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. 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 witnessed firsthand how they’ve changed lives—for our customers, my friends, and my family—adding real value and, above all, improving safety.
I’m confident Tesla will nail its next big mission (especially after last week), and I’m truly excited for the next chapter of my life.
