Tesla's rocky 2024 is hurtling along, with reports suggesting that Elon Musk has fired the team working on the Supercharger Network.
This nationwide network of rapid charging points had been seen as a key part of Tesla's strategy to dominate the electric vehicle (EV) market.
However, according to internal memos obtained by the Financial Times, around 500 employees from the charging infrastructure team have been laid off.
Musk didn't address the firings directly, but in a post on the social media platform X, which he owns, he said: "Tesla still plans to grow the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focus on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations".
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One Tesla employee who is apparently part of the global EV charging infrastructure team at Tesla also posted on X, saying: "Confirmed - @Tesla @elonmusk has let our entire charging org go. What this means for the charging network, NACS, and all the exciting work we were doing across the industry, I don't yet know. What a wild ride it has been."
Jameson added: "But also what a unique opportunity for the industry to capitalize on the newly available talent and expertise in the space. If Tesla is yielding the charging crown, who will step up?"
According to the FT, the internal memo - which appeared to come straight from Musk - said: "Hopefully these actions are making it clear that we need to be absolutely hard core about headcount and cost reduction. While some execstaff are taking this seriously, most are not yet doing so."
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This wave of 500 or so layoffs comes just a fortnight after reports that Tesla was reducing its global workforce by around 10%, potentially seeing some 14,000 people lose their jobs, so it underlines what a tumultuous few months this has been for the car maker.
With 50,000 superchargers already established around the world, the 15,000 in North America, and nascent deals starting to allow other car brands to use the network, it's anyone's guess what the next year looks like for Tesla's charging expansion.
Even aside from its workforce, it had been a pretty sour news month for the company, since it's only been a couple of weeks since it had to issue a full recall on the nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks it's so far delivered.
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Faulty accelerator pedals were causing potentially serious accidents, so every single truck will have to go back to a service center to be seen to.
Tesla has been contacted for comment.