The future of Tesla Supercharging is uncertain after CEO Elon Musk disbanded the Supercharging team as part of a broader restructuring. The nearly 500 layoffs included senior director of electric vehicle charging, Rebecca Tinucci, and Daniel Ho, director of vehicle programs.
Musk's sudden decision raised concerns about the future of Tesla's electric vehicle charging system, which has grown into one of the largest electric vehicle charging networks in the world, with more than 55,000 charging ports, according to the company.
“I would describe the Supercharger Network as one of Tesla's crown jewels,” said Anders Pinter, co-CEO of Bullet EV Charging Solutions. “Instead of doing victory laps and building the Supercharger network and reaping the benefits of this asset, suddenly there is this pause.”
Bloomberg reported on Monday that Tesla Inc. has begun reassigning some laid-off employees to the group, citing people familiar with the matter.
It's been a tough one for Tesla, as the electric car maker faces market pressures and increasing competition in the sector.
Tesla formed a partnership with Ford Motor Co., General Motors and others last year, opening up some supercharging networks to non-Tesla drivers.
Musk said in a post that Tesla still plans to grow the Supercharger network, but at a slower pace. He also said it would invest $500 million in expanding the network and creating thousands of new chargers this year. However, experts wonder how the recent cuts will impact the overall electric vehicle charging landscape.
“We've really relied on Tesla's leadership here in North America,” said Matt Teske, founder and CEO of Chargeway. “I think the sudden feeling that leadership has stalled or stalled or stalled raises the question, where do we go from here and who will step up?”
As Tesla navigates its next steps, stakeholders and electric vehicle buyers are waiting to see how the decision will impact not only the charging landscape but also broader adoption of electric vehicles.
Watch the video to get the full story and learn how the discounts could shape the future of electric vehicle charging and potentially impact Tesla's position in the market. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
