Tesla loses program manager behind its most successful electric car
Fred Lambert | Nov 10 2025 - 8:24 am PT
45 Comments
Emmanuel Lamacchia, the program manager for Tesla’s Model Y, its best-selling car, announced that he is leaving the automaker.
Tesla has now lost two program managers on the same day.
Earlier today, we reported that Siddhant Awasthi, head of the Cybertruck program, announced his departure from the company.
Now, we learn that another Tesla vehicle program manager is leaving.
Emmanuel Lamacchia, who has been in charge of the Model Y program for the last 4 years, announced that he is leaving the company (via LinkedIn):
After 8 incredible years, I’m moving on from Tesla.
What a journey it’s been… from leading NPI for Model 3 and Model Y variants to becoming the Vehicle Program Manager for Model Y, the best-selling car in the world!
Leading the All-New Model Y launch was the highlight: converting all 4 factories across 3 continents in just 2 weeks. Something that had never been done before in the auto industry.
Lamacchia had been at Tesla for almost 8 years. He had previously worked for Rolls-Royce engines.
Following his and Awasthi’s departure today, Tesla vehicle program leadership has now been completely wiped out over the last year.
Daniel Ho, the head of all vehicle programs at Tesla, who is credited with successfully leading Tesla’s first mass-volume vehicle, the Model 3, was reportedly let go as part of Tesla’s massive wave of layoffs last year. He joined Waymo shortly after.
David Zhang, Tesla’s second most senior vehicle program manager after Ho, also announced that he was leaving Tesla around the same time Ho joined Waymo.
Top comment by Foo Silver
Liked by 13 people
One of the downsides of using stock options to retain/hire employees, if the stock goes up a lot they make so much money from their stock options they decide to spend the rest of their limited number of years on earth doing something more fun.
Now they could demand $1 BILLION to stay, or $1 TRILLION if really disinclined to keep working for less, but not rational company would pay someone $1 BILLION much less $1 TRILLION.
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Zhang had led the Model S and Model X programs since 2018. He led Model Y and Cybertruck before those programs were handed over to Lamacchia and Awasthi, respectively, and was most recently in charge of Roadsters and other next-gen programs before leaving last year.
Electrek’s Take
Probably nothing to see here. This seems totally normal. After all, nothing but Tesla’s robotaxi and Optimus matter now, right? Not even Tesla’s best-selling Model Y?
As long as the stonk is up, who cares?
It’s pretty wild that this is literally the attitude of Tesla shareholders these days.
electrek.co |
