Elon Musk has fired Omead Afshar, head of operations for Tesla in North America and Europe, amid declining sales in both regions and the electric vehicle brand’s falling popularity. Afshar was a key lieutenant to Musk and oversaw business in the two key areas before his departure.
Tesla’s EV sales have been struggling, with the company’s fifth consecutive month of declines in Europe and a 15% drop in China in May. This comes as analysts predict a decline in Tesla’s global EV deliveries of at least 10% worldwide in the second quarter. Musk has been focusing on new projects such as a robotaxi service and humanoid robots, but critics argue that this is not addressing the company’s main issue: improving its lineup.
The robotaxi service launched in Austin recently faced several issues, including reports of erratic behavior by test vehicles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has started reviewing these incidents with Tesla. Afshar had been a key proponent of this project, but his departure may indicate that Musk is re-evaluating its strategy.
Tesla’s stock price remains unchanged after Afshar’s departure, closing at $325.78 on Thursday. The company’s shares have dropped 19% this year.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alanohnsman/2025/06/26/elon-musk-has-fired-one-of-his-top-tesla-lieutenants