Just as Tesla’s Cybercab rolls off the assembly line for the first time, the program manager behind its development, Victor Nechita, has abruptly left the company. But here’s where it gets controversial: Is this high-profile departure a symptom of deeper issues at Tesla, or just another bump in the road for a company known for its ambitious—and often delayed—innovations? Let’s dive in.
Victor Nechita, who spearheaded Tesla’s Cybercab program, has announced his departure mere days after the first production unit emerged from Giga Texas. This exit adds to a growing trend of senior program managers leaving the automaker, raising questions about stability during a critical launch phase. Nechita’s journey at Tesla began in 2017 as an intern on the Model 3 production line, right in the midst of what Elon Musk famously dubbed “production hell.” Over nearly nine years, he rose through the ranks, from seating engineer to technical program manager, ultimately landing the top role for the Cybercab. In a heartfelt LinkedIn post, Nechita reflected on his “humbling” journey and thanked his team, though he remained tight-lipped about his next move, only mentioning a new chapter in Boston.
Nechita’s contributions weren’t limited to the Cybercab. He played a key role in the Model 3 Highland refresh, a solid update that transformed the vehicle into a genuinely enjoyable daily driver—I know this firsthand, as I drive one myself. This kind of incremental, tangible improvement is what makes a product truly stand out in everyday use.
And this is the part most people miss: Nechita’s departure is just the latest in a wave of exits that began accelerating in late 2025. In November alone, Tesla lost both its Cybertruck program manager, Siddhant Awasthi, and Model Y program manager, Emmanuel Lamacchia—both former interns who had climbed the ranks, much like Nechita. The broader exodus is staggering: over the past two years, Tesla has seen the departure of Omead Afshar (VP of Sales and Manufacturing), Milan Kovac (Optimus program lead), Drew Baglino (powertrain veteran), Pete Bannon (Hardware Engineering VP), and another manufacturing director as recently as January 2026. The result? Tesla now has no original program managers left for any of its production vehicles—Model 3, Model Y, Cybertruck, or Cybercab.
While Nechita successfully steered the Cybercab from concept to its first production unit—a genuine milestone—the vehicle’s core problem remains unsolved. Here’s the controversial truth: The Cybercab is a car without a steering wheel, pedals, or fallback. Without unsupervised autonomy, it’s essentially a two-seater that can’t move. Tesla has yet to crack this nut, despite promises of autonomous driving since 2016—every timeline has been missed. In September 2025, Tesla even redefined “Full Self-Driving,” abandoning its unsupervised autonomy pledge. The next-gen AI5 chip, crucial for this technology, won’t arrive until mid-2027, leaving the Cybercab to launch on the same AI4 hardware that’s failed to deliver autonomy in millions of existing Teslas.
Tesla’s recent claim of launching “unsupervised” Robotaxi rides in January? They disappeared within a week, and the program remains limited to a small Austin area, heavily reliant on teleoperation. Nechita’s departure, just as the Cybercab transitions to volume manufacturing, raises questions about institutional knowledge loss. Tesla will undoubtedly promote internally and press on, but the real question isn’t whether they can build the Cybercab—it’s whether there’s any point in scaling production until someone can ride in one without a safety monitor.
Nechita’s story is inspiring—an intern turned program lead for one of Tesla’s most high-profile projects. His accomplishments are undeniable, and his work on the Model 3 Highland speaks for itself. But the Cybercab’s existence hinges on a technology Tesla hasn’t delivered. So, here’s the question for you: Is Tesla’s relentless pursuit of autonomous driving still worth the wait, or is the Cybercab a solution in search of a problem? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments.
