Omead Afshar, a veteran Tesla executive long known as Elon Musk’s personal “fixer,” has quietly exited the company, marking a notable shift in the automaker’s leadership structure.
Afshar—who joined Tesla in 2017 and rose to prominence by overseeing the Texas Gigafactory construction and serving in the Office of the CEO—had recently been appointed vice president of sales and manufacturing for North America and Europe back in October 2024. However, he has now left amid one of the most challenging periods in Tesla’s recent history: global vehicle deliveries fell by 13% in Q1 2025, European deliveries plunged ~40% in May, and profitability dropped sharply by 71%.
According to reports, Afshar’s name disappeared from Tesla’s internal directory, and he has ceased all corporate communication channels. The Wall Street Journal and Reuters attribute his departure to the broader struggles Tesla is facing—especially increased competition from Chinese EV makers and scrutiny over Elon Musk’s political entanglements. His exit aligns with other high-profile resignations, including that of North America HR head Jenna Ferrua and Milan Kovac, former VP of Optimus robotics.
Notably, his departure comes just days after he posted praise for the Austin robotaxi pilot on X: “Absolutely historic day for Tesla… Thank you, Elon, for pushing us all!” .
Tesla shares, which have fallen roughly 19% year‑to‑date, saw a brief dip following news of Afshar’s exit but stabilized shortly thereafter. Analysts say the move is likely meant to reassure investors that Tesla’s board is taking concrete action to arrest the operational slide.
Second-quarter delivery results, due next week, will be under intense scrutiny. Equity analysts project a further 10% drop in deliveries—potentially to around 392,800 vehicles globally for Q2—compared to 443,956 units last year.
Benchmark analyst remarks suggest longer-term confidence remains tied to Tesla’s ambitious pivot toward AI and autonomy, such as the robotaxi program and Optimus humanoid initiative—even as traditional sales sag.
Tom Zhu, Tesla’s global automotive head, is expected to temporarily absorb Afshar’s duties for North America and Europe—he already heads the Asia‑Pacific operations, reported WSJ.
Industry watchers view Afshar’s exit as part of a broader restructuring effort that aligns with Tesla’s shift toward AI and robotics.
With aging legacy models and mounting competition from both Western and Chinese automakers, Tesla is under pressure to roll out new products or aggressive pricing to regain market share.
Omead Afshar’s departure represents more than a personnel change—it reflects Tesla’s accelerating pivot away from conventional automotive dominance to a future defined by autonomy, robotics, and AI. Whether this signals a rejuvenation or further fragmentation remains to be seen. Q2 delivery results will be a key indicator.
