In addition to layoffs, Electrek claims via unnamed sources that Tesla has also pulled out of at least four Supercharger lease contracts in New York, spurring both speculation and concerns. The automaker’s CEO Elon Musk weighed in on the matter soon after, stating, “Tesla still plans to grow the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focus on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations.”
Tesla still plans to grow the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focus on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2024
Partners also expressed optimism that the layoffs could just be a temporary internal reshuffle. “It may be possible Mr. Musk will reconstitute the EV charger team in bigger, badder, more Muskian way,” Andres Pinter, head of one of Tesla’s charging partners, was quoted as saying by Reuters, also noting that the layoffs were “a sharp kick in the pants this morning.” GM and Ford told the outlet that they won’t be making any immediate plan changes. On the bright side, Tesla’s Q1 2024 financial report mentions the number of Supercharger connectors it has installed so far has gone up by 27% on a year-on-year basis while adding over 6,000 Supercharger stations globally.
