Tesla Fires Supercharger Team, Including Senior Executives, as Elon Musk Says Company Plans to Expand Network in Other Locations

By Madz Dizon

Apr 30, 2024 07:14 PM EDT

Tesla Fires Supercharger Team, Including Senior Executives, as Elon Musk Says Company Plans to Expand Network in Other Locations — A Tesla dealership is seen on December 13, 2023 in Austin, Texas. Tesla is recalling nearly all vehicles sold in the US after a near two-year investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found a defect in the Autopilot system.
(Photo : Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Another round of layoffs has been announced by Elon Musk's electric vehicle maker, Tesla, following a previous cut that resulted in the elimination of 14,000 positions.

According to tech news site The Information, Tesla's latest wave of layoffs includes two senior executives and the majority of its Supercharging team.

Tesla Layoffs Hit Supercharger Team

Rebecca Tinucci, senior director of EV charging, and the majority of the 500-person staff are among those let go. Daniel Ho, Director of the Vehicle Program and New Product Introduction, and his staff are also departing the company.

Tesla's recent staff reduction coincides with the company's challenges in the first quarter, including declining profit and revenue, intensified competition, slower growth in EV sales, and profit margin reductions due to price cuts.

The cuts may indicate a change in Tesla's approach to its chargers. Tinucci spearheaded an initiative to broaden the availability of Tesla's charging stations to other electric vehicle manufacturers.

This move not only created additional sources of income but also provided access to government funding. Time magazine acknowledged her accomplishments by including her on their prestigious 2023 Time100 Climate list.

Musk's email mentioned that Tesla will prioritize the construction of new Superchargers in crucial locations and complete ongoing projects.

In a recent update on his social media platform, Musk shared that there are plans to expand the Supercharger network. However, the focus will now be on maintaining 100% uptime and expanding existing locations, rather than rapidly adding new ones.

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
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2024

Ex-Tesla Worker Fired Despite 'Sacrifices'

Meanwhile, a LinkedIn post by a former Tesla employee who was laid off earlier this month has ignited a discussion about the extent to which employees should be willing to make sacrifices for their employers.

In a post, former Tesla employee Nico Murillo discusses his passion for the electric vehicle manufacturer, claiming that he once slept in his car on weekdays in 2023 to avoid his 1.5-hour commute.

Then, Murillo claimed, he got into his computer on April 15 at 4:30 a.m. to discover that his account had been disabled. He immediately received an email stating, "Unfortunately, as a result of this restructuring, your position has been eliminated." Nevertheless, Murillo drove to his office and attempted to badge in.

He described his nearly five years with Tesla, where his most recent post was as a production supervisor, saying, "Sacrificed a lot for the company."

Nonetheless, Murillo's thoughts of his passion for Tesla and his unexpected dismissal provoked an outpouring on LinkedIn, with over 1,600 responses. People who reported comparable situations expressed a consistent refrain, questioning if it is worthwhile to devote so much time and energy to a job.