Tesla to Sack Senior Execs, 500 Team in Another Round of Layoff

Tesla is facing a new wave of layoffs, this time including senior executives and the majority of its Supercharger team, according to internal emails reported by The Information and Electrek.

This comes just two weeks after the electric carmaker announced a 10% workforce reduction, impacting at least 14,000 employees. 

In an email to executives, CEO Elon Musk reportedly called for a more aggressive approach, stating he wants Tesla to be "absolutely hardcore" about the cuts. 

The latest layoffs reportedly include Rebecca Tinucci, senior director of EV charging, and her team of roughly 500 employees responsible for the Supercharger network.

Daniel Ho, head of the new vehicles program, is also departing alongside his team. 

"Tesla will still build new Superchargers and complete those already under construction," Musk assured in the email, despite the dismissal of Tinucci, who spearheaded the network's rollout and lobbied for wider adoption of Tesla's North American Charging Standard (NACS).

Other high-profile departures include Daniel Ho, a ten-year Tesla veteran who oversaw vehicle programs, new product initiatives, and program management for core models like the Model S, 3, and Y. 

Also, most of the public policy team, previously led by Rohan Patel (who left during the earlier layoffs), is reportedly being let go.  

These cuts follow a tumultuous period for Tesla. The company's stock price has plummeted as profit margins hit a six-year low.

Price reductions to counter rising competition and softening electric vehicle demand are seen as contributing factors. 

Beyond financial woes, Tesla grapples with ongoing investigations into its Autopilot system, a Cybertruck recall, and controversies surrounding Musk's online behaviour and legal battles.

The full extent of these recent layoffs remains unclear, but reports from Bloomberg suggest the total headcount reduction could reach 20%, exceeding 20,000 employees.