Tesla, after experiencing a challenging quarter and anticipating a tough road ahead, has initiated what CEO Elon Musk describes as “absolutely hardcore” headcount and cost reductions. As part of these measures, the company has reduced the team responsible for its Supercharger network, a move that has raised concerns among laid-off workers regarding its impact on users.
The Supercharger network, known for being America’s most reliable charging network, allows non-Tesla electric vehicles (EVs) to use its stations. However, the reduction in staff has left remaining employees feeling overworked and concerned about maintaining the network’s quality of service.
An anonymous former employee, who was part of Tesla’s charging station diagnosis and repair team, shared insights with InsideEVs, stating that even when the Supercharger team was adequately staffed, they struggled to handle the workload. The former employee mentioned having to be available 19 to 24 hours per day, indicating the team’s challenges in keeping up with the demands of the network.
“We couldn’t keep up. And now the network is even larger,” the former employee stated. “Now, guess what? There are even more consumers. There’s gonna be a lot more issues that could possibly come up.”
With 50 million stations, the Supercharger network is the largest EV fast-charging network globally, with each location handling an average of about 320 charging sessions per day. As more non-Tesla EVs gain access to the network, this number is expected to increase.
Concerns have been raised about Tesla’s ability to manage the network effectively following these layoffs. The former employee expressed uncertainty about receiving severance, describing the situation as “radio silence” since being informed of the termination. “Nobody knows anything. Even some of the other leaders that were impacted above me. They have no idea,” the former employee added.
The impact of these layoffs on the Supercharger network’s operations and quality of service remains a topic of concern for both current and potential users of Tesla’s charging infrastructure.
