Tesla’s Top Software Engineer Is Leaving The Company

Tesla’s (TSLA) vice-president of software engineering, David Lau, is leaving the company.

Lau is stepping down from his role at the electric vehicle maker in coming months.

He has been with Tesla for more than a decade and has served as the lead for software engineering since 2017.

Lau led a team at Tesla that was responsible for software in Tesla’s electric vehicles, as well as cloud services and manufacturing systems.

Tesla has not said who might replace Lau in the senior executive position.

Lau was a long-time member of Tesla’s executive team and frequently appeared alongside Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Elon Musk at public events.

While it’s not immediately clear why Lau is leaving Tesla, his departure comes at a difficult time for the company and its electric vehicles.

Tesla’s stock has fallen 40% this year amid an ongoing rout in global equity markets.

However, even before the current market crash, Tesla was struggling with a public backlash against Musk’s role within the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as with declining sales and rising competition.

There have also been reports of vandalism to Tesla vehicles and showrooms across the U.S. in recent months.

The stock of Tesla is currently trading at $239.43 U.S. per share.