Tesla’s Cybercab program is seeing another key departure, just weeks after reaching a major production milestone. Mark Lupkey, who was the Manufacturing Operations Leader for the Cybercab program in Austin, shared the news in a LinkedIn post on Saturday.
His exit follows closely behind that of Cybercab Vehicle Program Manager Victor Nechita, who departed in February shortly after the first production Cybercab rolled off the line at Giga Texas.
“After nearly 8 collective years across two stints at Tesla, last week was the end of an unforgettable chapter for me,” Lupkey wrote.
From Model S to Cybercab
During his time at Tesla, Lupkey worked across several key programs and facilities, contributing to both vehicle production and sales operations.
His earlier tenure included helping ramp seat assembly for the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 at the Fremont factory. He later transitioned into a sales leadership role in St. Louis, where he oversaw a major retail expansion and applied manufacturing-style efficiency principles to improve performance.
Lucky returned to Tesla in 2022 after a brief stint at Ford, taking on a series of increasingly senior manufacturing roles, including leading Model Y body-in-white and end-of-line operations, before moving onto the Cybertruck program.
He ultimately became responsible for manufacturing operations on the Cybercab platform, overseeing both assembly and end-of-line ramp efforts at Giga Texas.
High-pressure ramps and “impossible” timelines
In his farewell message, Lupkey highlighted the demanding nature of Tesla’s production environment, describing long hours and significant challenges across multiple vehicle launches.
“The challenges were often brutal. The hours were long. The obstacles sometimes felt insurmountable,” he wrote.
Despite those pressures, Lupkey pointed to the Cybertruck and Cybercab programs as defining moments in his career, particularly the effort required to bring both into production.
“If I had to pick the highlights, they would be launching and sustaining Cybertruck End of Line, then replicating that intensity over the past year with the Cybercab Assembly ramp,” he said.
Lupkey also praised the Cybercab program itself, calling it “a truly amazing and unforgettable product” and expressing confidence in the team continuing the ramp.
Stepping away for family and new ventures
Like several other recent Tesla departures, Lupkey indicated his decision to leave was driven by a desire to step back from the company’s demanding pace and focus on personal priorities.
“For now, I’m stepping back to spend quality time with my family and focus on our business ventures,” he wrote.
He added that Tesla had a lasting impact on his life and career, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and mission-driven work throughout his time at the company.
Another departure amid ongoing leadership changes
Lupkey’s exit adds to a growing list of departures across Tesla’s engineering, operations, and leadership teams over the past two years.
Recent exits include Vice President of Finance Sendil Palani, who stepped down after 17 years, and Thomas Dmytryk, an engineering leader who helped build Tesla’s over-the-air (OTA) software infrastructure and Robotaxi platform.
Several other senior figures across manufacturing, software, and sales have also left during this period, as Tesla continues to evolve its focus toward artificial intelligence, robotics, and autonomous mobility.
