The day before Elon Musk dismissed nearly all of Tesla’s electric-vehicle charging division last month, the team had high hopes as charging chief Rebecca Tinucci met with Musk to discuss the network’s future. Despite Tinucci cutting 15%-20% of staff two weeks prior as part of broader layoffs, the team expected Musk to endorse plans for a significant expansion. Instead, Musk, displeased with Tinucci’s presentation and resistant to her concerns about further cuts undermining the business, fired her and her 500-member team.
The mass firings have disrupted a network seen as a cornerstone of Tesla’s success, with Superchargers making up over 60% of U.S. high-speed charging ports. Despite Musk’s assurances on social media about continuing the expansion, three former employees reported receiving calls from vendors and contractors concerned about their investments in the network’s infrastructure. This account, based on interviews with eight former employees, one contractor, and a Tesla email, provides the most detailed look yet at the fallout from the Supercharger layoffs.