Elon Musk fires Tesla's head of operations in North America and Europe, Omead Afshar.

Elon Musk fires Tesla's head of operations in North America and Europe, Omead Afshar.

In a significant move, Tesla has parted ways with Omead Afshar, who served as the company's executive in charge of sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe [1][2]. The departure comes amidst a challenging period for the electric vehicle maker, marked by softening demand and increased competition.

Afshar, who was a confidant of CEO Elon Musk and part of the CEO's office, had taken on his new role last year. However, the markets he oversaw have seen a decline in sales, partly due to a backlash surrounding Musk's growing political involvement. The company has not yet commented on the reasons behind the termination.

This personnel change coincides with a difficult year for Tesla. The company's shares have fallen approximately 19% since the beginning of the year, while demand for its electric vehicles has decreased. Musk has been spending considerable time in Washington and redirecting the company's focus towards artificial intelligence, robots, and autonomous vehicles. Recently, Tesla launched a small number of its long-promised robotaxis in Austin as part of this strategic shift.

The company is expected to announce its global delivery results for the second quarter next week, which will provide further insights into its current financial health.

References:
[1] https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/tesla-executive-elon-musk-confidant-154522198.html
[2] https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/tesla-executive-omead-afshar-departs-amid-challenging-period--bloomberg-93CH-4113269