Earlier this week, news emerged that Tesla CEO Elon Musk had let go of the entire 500-person team working on its Supercharger Network, the company’s flagship network of chargers that significantly sets it apart from its competitors EV.
The company has even already started pulling out of key leases at Supercharger locations, as Electrek reports.
And Tesla owners, who have long been wowed by Musk’s vision of a more reliable nationwide fast-charging network, are furious.
For many, this is the reason they chose to buy a Tesla in the first place: a convenient and significantly faster way to charge their vehicle. As Musk seemingly abandons his ambitions to expand the network, many owners – who otherwise turned a blind eye to his racist antics and questionable behavior – are beginning to turn against the mercurial billionaire.
“Superchargers are what sold me on Tesla,” one user wrote on the TeslaMotors subreddit. “I hope this isn’t the beginning of the end.”
It’s a major reversal for Musk, who just seven months ago showed off sleek renderings of a Tesla hotel, a 24-hour restaurant and a drive-in movie theater at a Los Angeles Supercharger station .
Musk, who once dreamed of trendy burger restaurants gracing the company’s charging stations, is ready to double down on the company’s driver assistance software – a confusing and typically hard-to-read decision that may or may not pay off.
The stakes are considerable. Tesla is preparing for a disastrous year: sales are down and the company’s reputation has deteriorated, largely because of the CEO’s behavior. Meanwhile, Tesla’s competitors are quickly catching up.
Heads are rolling as Musk hits the automaker with two rounds of massive layoffs, reportedly affecting up to 20% of Tesla’s global workforce. Several senior executives have since left the company, alongside head of electric charging Rebecca Tinucci and her team.
Tesla is giving up a considerable lead in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The number of new Tesla charging stations has exceeded that of its competitors; according to EVAdoption, installations increased by approximately 19 percent between January and March of this year. The company operates 5,682 locations and 27,257 ports across the United States, numbers that are beaten only by ChargePoint, an electric vehicle infrastructure company that operates the largest online network of independent charging stations.
But now that Tesla is significantly scaling back its ambitions to expand its Supercharger network, customers are wary of longer lines. And that’s without taking into account Tesla’s decision to open its network to its competitors, which will likely only worsen overpopulation.
The company’s North American charging standard is quickly becoming ubiquitous in other car brands, with companies like General Motors and Ford agreeing to adopt the plug for future vehicles.
In other words, all hell is about to break loose at Tesla’s existing Supercharger stations – and Tesla owners are upset.
Musk’s decision to not only lay off the entire Supercharger team, but also walk away from several key charging station leases, has many Tesla enthusiasts scratching their heads.
“I don’t see what’s the point of opening the network to other manufacturers, then reducing their expansion?” asked one user in the TeslaMotors subreddit. “There are already many stations in my area that are very busy with just Teslas. I can’t imagine what it’s like with additional cars from other manufacturers.”
Others pointed out that the company’s Supercharger department was actually manufacturing money. According to BloombergAccording to Tesla estimates, the Supercharger network generated about $1.74 billion in revenue last year, or about 17% of Tesla’s Services and Others segment.
Many wondered what Musk’s intention was behind this decision. Is he trying to thin the company’s ranks to stay solvent, or is he weeding out executives who aren’t loyal enough?
“He stirs things up and creates these frenzies all the time,” one Reddit user suggested. “It’s his way of shedding blood in his businesses.”
Others have turned outright against the mercurial CEO, echoing the sentiments of many investors who have long argued that Musk is the main thing standing between Tesla and success.
“I’m done with Elon’s ‘break shit’ philosophy,” another enraged Reddit user wrote. “Tesla, at this point, should operate as a mature company, not a pet project. It needs to go.”
“Musk makes this brand so toxic,” one user wrote. “Really sad to see.”
Musk’s decision to lay off the company’s entire Supercharger team could ripple across the industry and have real consequences for electric vehicle adoption.
“This is very bad news, not only for Tesla, but also for the electric vehicle industry in the United States,” said one Reddit user. “This will mean less compressor maintenance and expansion, more congestion and less access for new users.”
“It’s almost like they don’t want to be a car company anymore,” added another.
Musk promised that Tesla would not completely abandon its efforts to expand its Supercharger network, Tweeter that it will do so “at a slower pace for new locations and with a greater focus on 100% availability and expansion of existing locations.”
But it remains to be seen whether that will be enough for the company’s most loyal customers, who have complained for years about overcrowding at stations.
“The truth is I only got Tesla because of the Supercharger network,” wrote one user on the TeslaMotors subreddit. “I still don’t like the fit and finish of the interior. If the others catch up, that’s it.”
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