Tesla's once-hailed flagship, the Cybertruck, has become an emblem of engineering woes and waning consumer enthusiasm, with the electric vehicle manufacturer facing a string of high-profile departures among its top talent.
The latest to leave is Siddhant Awasthi, who led engineering for the Cybertruck and most recently, the Model 3. After eight years at Tesla, Awasthi announced his departure on LinkedIn, citing an "exciting growth horizon" as the reason for his decision. The program manager had previously overseen product strategy, quality improvements, and supply chain management for the unique truck.
The Cybertruck has been plagued by issues since its 2023 launch, including a commercial failure that led to Tesla discontinuing sales of its base model in September due to weak demand. In March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration forced a massive recall of nearly all sold Cybertrucks over an engineering flaw causing exterior panels to detach while in motion. A recent recall affected another 63,000 units due to brightly shining headlights posing a hazard.
The vehicle has also become embroiled in controversy surrounding Elon Musk's right-wing views and ties to former President Donald Trump. Dubbed the "MAGAmobile," it has been met with ridicule and criticism from some quarters, contributing to Tesla's struggles to regain consumer confidence.
Financially, the Cybertruck debacle is taking its toll on Tesla, with sales plummeting 63% year-over-year in the third quarter. The company has resorted to offering steep discounts to boost sales amid collapsing demand and the expiration of the federal tax credit, which ended under the Trump Administration.
Despite ongoing struggles, Tesla is pushing ahead with ambitious goals for its next phase, including a massive compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk that aims to grow the company's market value to $8.5 trillion by 2035. However, the departure of key talent like Awasthi raises questions about the company's ability to overcome its current challenges and achieve these lofty targets.
The latest to leave is Siddhant Awasthi, who led engineering for the Cybertruck and most recently, the Model 3. After eight years at Tesla, Awasthi announced his departure on LinkedIn, citing an "exciting growth horizon" as the reason for his decision. The program manager had previously overseen product strategy, quality improvements, and supply chain management for the unique truck.
The Cybertruck has been plagued by issues since its 2023 launch, including a commercial failure that led to Tesla discontinuing sales of its base model in September due to weak demand. In March, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration forced a massive recall of nearly all sold Cybertrucks over an engineering flaw causing exterior panels to detach while in motion. A recent recall affected another 63,000 units due to brightly shining headlights posing a hazard.
The vehicle has also become embroiled in controversy surrounding Elon Musk's right-wing views and ties to former President Donald Trump. Dubbed the "MAGAmobile," it has been met with ridicule and criticism from some quarters, contributing to Tesla's struggles to regain consumer confidence.
Financially, the Cybertruck debacle is taking its toll on Tesla, with sales plummeting 63% year-over-year in the third quarter. The company has resorted to offering steep discounts to boost sales amid collapsing demand and the expiration of the federal tax credit, which ended under the Trump Administration.
Despite ongoing struggles, Tesla is pushing ahead with ambitious goals for its next phase, including a massive compensation plan for CEO Elon Musk that aims to grow the company's market value to $8.5 trillion by 2035. However, the departure of key talent like Awasthi raises questions about the company's ability to overcome its current challenges and achieve these lofty targets.
his exit comes at a time when elon musk is facin alot of heat over his controversial comments 
the cybertruck was already in trouble b4 this and it's not likley to turn things arond with key ppl like him gone 
I feel bad for Siddhant Awasthi, he was a part of an iconic project that didn't quite live up to expectations... 8 years is a long time, and I'm sure he had hopes for the Cybertruck's success 
. It's crazy how one major recall can lead to so much drama 
. The whole thing is just... ugh, it's like Elon Musk wanted to make headlines with that Cybertruck launch 
. And now people are talking about "MAGAmobile"... no need for all that negativity 
. Can't Tesla just get it together? 
. And don't even get me started on those recalls... I feel bad for Elon Musk and what he's goin' through with his company right now 
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it's like they took all the worst parts of their design and just rolled with it. poor elon musk... he needs to get his act together ASAP if tesla wants to regain consumer confidence
- that Tesla's Cybertruck is having a rough patch, I mean, it's not like they made it look like a potato on wheels or anything. But seriously, Siddhant Awasthi leaving is like the final nail in the coffin... or should I say, the last screw loose? 
It's like, what's next, Elon Musk quitting to pursue his dream of being a professional snail trainer? 
. And I don't get what's going on with Elon Musk and his views... I'm all for innovation and stuff, but not if it comes at the expense of people feeling uncomfortable 
. Can someone explain to me why 63% sales drop is so bad? Like, can't they just sell more cars or something? 
And btw, have you seen those headlights on the Cybertruck? Are they, like, super bright or what? 
i mean Siddhant Awasthi was like the engineer in chief and now he's gone what does that say about elon's leadership skills? 
63k units recall because of them?! 
anyway, i guess this is just another reason why tesla can't seem to catch a break 
The Cybertruck was supposed to be this game-changing product, but now it's just a laughingstock. And let's not forget all the recalls and controversies surrounding Elon Musk's views... it's like, does anyone trust Tesla anymore? 
I'm not saying they're doomed or anything, but it's hard to see how they'll overcome their current struggles. Maybe they need some fresh blood to turn things around, who knows? 
But for now, it's just a big ol' mess... 
. First off, let's talk about Siddhant Awasthi leaving Tesla - it's not surprising, given the state of affairs at the company right now. I mean, who wants to stick around when you see all these problems piling up? 
. Like, detachable exterior panels while in motion? No thanks 
. And those headlights that were supposed to be "super bright" but ended up being a hazard instead? Yeah, not cool. It's like Elon Musk and his team just threw a bunch of tech at the wall and hoped something would stick 
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I'm not sure if Elon Musk's leadership is the solution or just part of the problem 
who actually knows what they're doing at Tesla lol what a surprise it's not like Elon Musk promised him a pie in the sky future or anything idk how much more of this cybertruck drama we can take, anyone else think its time for Tesla to just accept its flaws and start over? 
it was supposed to be this revolutionary electric truck, but really it's just been a marketing disaster. and now elon musk is facin pressure from trump supporters... like how's that goin to end? 
. but then it started to have these issues... like, what even is going on with those headlights? 
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I feel bad for Siddhant Awasthi, he must be really frustrated with Tesla's struggles. The Cybertruck was such a big deal when it first came out 
. I mean, who wants to buy a car that can have its panels detach in an accident? 
. Losing top talent like Awasthi isn't helping matters 
. I'm curious to see how they'll recover from this and what changes we can expect to see in the future 
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. With Siddhant Awasthi leavin', I'm worried about the quality control and stuff... what if it gets worse? And don't even get me started on those recalls 
. Maybe Elon needs to take a step back, regroup, and figure out how to make Cybertruck work without all the drama 
. Otherwise, it's just gonna be another failed experiment 
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. They used to be all about innovation and pushing boundaries, but now it just seems like they're struggling with basic engineering issues 
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. I think it's time for Tesla to take a hard look at its priorities and figure out how to get back on track 
. But hey, only time will tell if they can turn things around