Tesla Rehires Supercharger Staff After $500 Million Budget Cut

May 15, 2024, 10:58 AM

Elon Musk's decision to terminate most of Tesla's 500-person Supercharger team has led to significant upheaval within the company's electric vehicle charging division. Initially, the entire team was laid off, causing uncertainty about the future of Tesla's Supercharger network, which is one of the largest EV charging systems globally. However, in a reversal, Tesla has started rehiring some of the laid-off staff to lead a smaller Supercharging team. This decision has caught other carmakers off guard, as they were relying on Tesla's infrastructure for their own EVs. Industry officials and analysts have expressed concerns about the impact of these changes on Tesla's profitability and future expansion plans. Rebecca Tinucci, the former charging chief, had initially cut between 15% and 20% of the staff before Musk demanded deeper cuts. The planned $500 million expansion budget for 2024 has been reduced by 77%, raising further concerns about the company's future.