Tesla has made a significant move by eliminating its entire Supercharger team, responsible for developing the electric-vehicle charging network across the United States. Reports indicate that approximately 500 employees have been laid off as part of this decision, according to an email sent by CEO Elon Musk to the company’s staff.
Musk stated in the email that the entire Supercharger team would be dissolved, although ongoing construction of charging stations would be completed, and some new ones would be built as needed. The scale of the layoffs raises questions about the impact on Tesla’s operations, particularly given the recent mass layoff at the company’s electric vehicle factory in eastern Travis County, Texas, affecting nearly 2,700 employees.
While Tesla plans to continue expanding the Supercharger network, Musk emphasized a slower pace for new locations, with increased focus on maintaining 100% uptime and enhancing existing sites. However, the cuts have already affected construction projects at a dozen Supercharger sites in Texas, and negotiations with property owners in New York for additional charging stations have been left unresolved.
Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of EV charging, along with the 500-person team she led, is reportedly departing the company. This unexpected move has raised concerns about the future of Tesla’s charging network, especially since Tinucci played a key role in securing support from other automakers for Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS).
The layoffs have sparked reactions from affected employees, with some expressing surprise and uncertainty about the future. Lane Chaplin, a senior manager in Tesla’s charging division in Austin, and Swapnesh Walunj, who previously handled charging analytics in the same location, shared their experiences on LinkedIn. Will Jameson, who worked for Tesla’s charging infrastructure team in the Bay Area, also voiced his thoughts on the situation, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the charging network and NACS.
