In a surprising turn of events, Tesla has laid off hundreds of employees, including most of its Supercharger division team. Rebecca Tinucci, the senior director of EV charging, is also leaving along with the 500-person team she oversaw. This comes just months after Tesla opened up its EV charging plug and network to other automakers in November 2022.
Major automakers like Ford, GM, Volkswagen Group, and Stellantis quickly adopted Tesla’s charging standard, leading to a potential shift in strategy for the electric car company. Despite the layoffs, Tesla CEO Elon Musk assured that the company remains committed to EV charging, but installations will slow down in the near future.
The news of the layoffs blindsided affected employees, leaving many to seek new opportunities in the industry. However, William Navarro Jameson noted that this presents “a unique opportunity for the industry to capitalize on the newly available talent and expertise in the space.”
Tesla’s Supercharger network has long been considered superior to third-party EV charging stations, with the company installing over 6,000 Supercharger stations and 57,000 connectors in the first three months of 2024. Yet, EV charging infrastructure remains a sore point for the entire industry, with consumer anxiety about availability in the US.
Elon Musk continues to promote Tesla as an AI venture and has emphasized efforts to produce a fully autonomous robotaxi. As the electric vehicle market continues to evolve, the impact of Tesla’s layoffs on the industry as a whole remains to be seen.
