Tesla has recently made headlines with the departure of one of its key executives, Omead Afshar. Afshar, who was in charge of operations in North America and Europe, had been with the company since 2017, starting as an engineer and eventually rising to the position of vice president of sales and manufacturing. This role had previously been held by Tom Zhu before Afshar took over last October.
Afshar’s departure from Tesla has been reported by Forbes, CNBC, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. Despite this news, Afshar’s X post just days ago praised the launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi as “historic,” indicating his continued involvement with the company.
In a recent reflection, Afshar recalled the intense production ramp-up of the Model 3, during which he worked closely with Elon Musk. He described Musk’s hands-on approach and personal dedication, noting the immense sacrifices Musk made to ensure the success of the production line. Afshar even shared a late-night photo of Musk at Tesla’s paint ingress station on his birthday, illustrating Musk’s commitment to resolving production challenges.
Afshar also detailed the launch of Giga Texas, where Musk reportedly slept on-site for a period of time to oversee operations. Musk’s directive to keep the machines running 24/7 showcased his relentless drive for success.
Despite reports of Afshar’s departure, his X and LinkedIn profiles still list him as a Tesla employee, leaving some uncertainty about the situation. His deep connection to Musk and Tesla’s mission raises questions about the finality of his reported firing.
As Tesla navigates this leadership change, the impact on the company’s operations in North America and Europe remains to be seen. With Afshar’s departure, Tesla will need to adjust its leadership structure to continue driving growth and innovation in the electric vehicle market.