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Tesla’s top North America sales executive departs amid broader executive exodus
EV-maker Tesla’s North America sales head has departed as the company navigates a leadership shake-up, even as it enters India with its first showroom.
Tesla Motors was founded in July 2003 by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, who envisioned building sleek, high-performance electric vehicles that could compete with gasoline-powered cars. (Image: LogoAI)
Tesla’s top sales executive in North America has left the company, marking the latest in a string of senior departures as the electric vehicle maker contends with slowing sales and intensifying competition. Troy Jones, vice president of sales, service and delivery for Tesla’s largest market, exited after 15 years at the company, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
Shares of Tesla fell more than 1 percent following the report, adding pressure to a stock already facing headwinds amid declining demand in North America and Europe. The company’s aging vehicle lineup and a wave of affordable electric vehicle alternatives from rivals have strained Tesla’s once unchallenged position in the market.
Since early last year, Tesla has seen a series of high-level departures, including Omead Afshar, a close adviser to Chief Executive Elon Musk; Drew Baglino, Tesla’s top battery engineer; and Rohan Patel, head of global public policy. In recent months, Milan Kovac, who led Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot project, and Vineet Mehta, a senior battery executive, also announced their exits.
The turnover within Tesla’s executive ranks, including key figures in legal and supply chain roles, has raised questions about stability at the company as it shifts focus toward robotics and autonomous driving technology while navigating a sales downturn in its core automotive business.
In a striking juxtaposition to its domestic challenges, Tesla on July 15 unveiled its first showroom in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex, marking its official debut in India’s rapidly growing, but still nascent, electric-vehicle market. The experience centre, which prominently displays two variants of the Model Y, marks the opening salvo of an India strategy built on importing Shanghai‑built vehicles before any local manufacturing plans crystallize. The Model Y, priced above ₹60 lakh, reflecting steep import duties, will initially target affluent urban buyers, supported by a rollout of Supercharger sites across Mumbai and Delhi.
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