As Tesla's Sales Decline in the U.S. and Europe, Elon Allegedly Terminates His Leading Sales Executive

Elon Musk has fired Omead Afshar, the head of Tesla’s sales and manufacturing operations in North America and Europe, multiple outlets reported Thursday. The apparent expulsion of the top exec comes as the billionaire’s car company flounders under plummeting sales in both the U.S. and the EU.

Afshar, who was considered one of the more senior executives at the company, reported directly to Musk and has also worked at Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX. On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that Afshar had “left” the company, but did not provide details about why. Not long afterward, Forbes reported that Afshar had been let go by Musk, citing sources with knowledge of the situation. CNBC later claimed to have confirmed the news. Gizmodo reached out to Tesla for more information.

The circumstances surrounding Afshar’s departure are unclear (and, again, the company hasn’t confirmed his termination yet), though there are plenty of reasons why Musk might be angry about his company’s sales operations. In recent months, the number of people buying Musk’s cars has continued to drop at a staggering rate. In April, Automotive News reported that Tesla sales had fallen 16 percent in the U.S., year-over-year. On Wednesday, Cox Automotive, which provides car dealerships with business intelligence, projected that Tesla sales were expected to dip another 21 percent during this quarter.

Tesla has also seen humiliating losses across Europe. On Wednesday, the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association reported that sales of Teslas in 30 European countries had fallen 28% in May. That continues a trend that has been building for some time. Throughout the first part of this year, sales of the car dropped by double digits throughout the continent—a cratering that represents the single biggest sales decline in the company’s history.

Ironically, many onlookers have attributed Tesla’s struggles to Musk himself, whose political activities—in both the U.S. and Europe—have angered lots of people and inspired hatred against him and his companies. Specifically, Musk’s role in DOGE, the Trump administration initiative to shrink the federal government, as well as his meddling in European politics, have put a target on his (and Tesla’s) back. In the U.S., the #TeslaTakedown protest movement saw thousands of Americans take to the streets to denounce Musk’s role in the White House, while in Europe, protests against Musk have also taken place.

There are, of course, other potential factors in Tesla’s plummeting sales numbers. In Europe, increased competition from Chinese manufacturers and newer EV brands means trouble for the company. It’s a more EV-saturated market in Europe these days than when Tesla originally got into the game, and, with more choices, there are more opportunities for customers to say “no thanks” to the billionaire’s brand.