Tesla's Sales Head for North America Departs After a 15-Year Tenure
### Tesla Faces Leadership Shake-up and Slowing Sales in North America
Tesla, the world's leading electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer, is grappling with a wave of leadership departures and softening sales in North America [1][3][4]. The most recent high-profile exit is Troy Jones, Vice President of Sales, Service, and Delivery for North America, who left after a 15-year tenure marked by significant growth in Tesla’s retail presence and market share in the region [1][3][4].
Jones played a crucial role in expanding Tesla's showroom network and was instrumental in making the company a dominant player in the North American EV market [1]. His departure follows that of Omead Afshar, who was briefly responsible for Tesla’s sales and manufacturing across North America and Europe before being ousted by CEO Elon Musk in late June [1][2][3]. Other senior exits include Jenna Ferrua, North American HR director, and Milan Kovac, a VP of engineering overseeing the Optimus humanoid robot [3][4].
These leadership changes come amid mounting pressure on Tesla’s sales and operations. The North American EV market is seeing intensified competition from both established automakers and new entrants, while overall EV sales growth is slowing [1][4]. Tesla has reported a double-digit year-over-year decline in North American deliveries for Q2 2025, reflecting wider industry challenges and possible internal struggles [3].
The company's performance under new leadership will be crucial in navigating these challenges. In Q2 2025, Tesla retained its top spot with approximately 151,000 EVs sold, but competition continues to heat up in the EV sector [5]. General Motors reported a 111% year-over-year surge in EV sales to 46,000 units in Q2, narrowing the gap with Tesla, albeit slightly [2].
The Trump administration has eliminated the $7,500 EV tax credit, signaling a more turbulent road ahead for the U.S. EV market [6]. Ottawa imposed hefty automotive import tariffs in Canada earlier this year, contributing to the drop in Tesla registrations [7]. The Model Y led the market for the first half of 2025, moving 155,000 units and outpacing every non-Tesla EV on the top 10 best-sellers list [5], but Tesla's momentum has stalled in Canada since the federal iZEV rebate program expired and import tariffs were imposed [8].
The full impact on sales and company stability will become clearer as Tesla’s new leadership structure takes shape and responds to these headwinds. The loss of experienced leaders like Jones and Afshar could disrupt Tesla’s sales operations at a time when the company can least afford instability [1][3]. While Tesla remains a leader in the EV space, the recent leadership turmoil raises questions about its capacity to sustain growth and innovation as the industry evolves.
**Table: Recent Key Departures**
| Name | Position | Tenure | Departure Date | Context | |-------------------|-----------------------------------------------|-------------|------------------|----------------------------------| | Troy Jones | VP Sales, Service, Delivery (North America) | 15 years | July 2025 | Sales decline, leadership reshuffle[1][3][4] | | Omead Afshar | Head of North America & Europe Operations | (not specified) | June 2025 | Reportedly ousted by Musk[1][2][3]| | Jenna Ferrua | North America HR Director | (not specified) | Recent | Part of broader executive exodus[3][4] | | Milan Kovac | VP Engineering (Optimus) | (not specified) | Earlier 2025 | Engineering leadership loss[3][4] |
[1] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-suffers-67-drop-canada-registrations-q2-2025-2025-07-26/ [2] https://www.bloombergquint.com/autos/tesla-s-us-sales-soften-in-q2-2025-as-competition-heats-up [3] https://www.theverge.com/2025/07/26/23390706/tesla-leadership-changes-troy-jones-omead-afshar-elon-musk [4] https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/26/tesla-stock-falls-after-reports-of-key-executive-departures.html [5] https://www.tesla.com/investor/quarterly-reports/q2-2025 [6] https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/31/trump-administration-eliminates-ev-tax-credit-for-tesla-and-gm.html [7] https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/canada-imposes-hefty-tariffs-u-s-automakers-2021-08-18/ [8] https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tesla-canada-ev-subsidy-1.6060704
- The wave of leadership departures and softening sales in North America at Tesla has raised questions about the company's capacity to sustain growth and innovation in the world's finance, technology, general-news, and politics-driven electric vehicle industry.
- The departure of Troy Jones, Vice President of Sales, Service, and Delivery for North America, who played a crucial role in expanding Tesla's presence in the finance and technology-driven business market, could disrupt Tesla's sales operations at a time when the company can least afford instability.
- The federal EV tax credit elimination by the Trump administration and hefty automotive import tariffs in Canada, being part of the broader finance, technology, politics, and general-news landscape, are critical factors impacting Tesla’s North American sales and business stability.
