Entire Tesla Supercharger team fired (Update: Elon Musk says supercharger network growth will continue). ** ⚠️ ADMIN WARNING: NO POLITICS **

[pinolero]

One thing to add is its not just the Supercharger network, but the destination network as well.

The team that was let go did a great job at providing a solid network of options for charging whether you needed to charge on the go or if you wanted to stop for a night and slow charge.

With Tesla it wasn't so much that you were buying the car, but that you were buying the entire Tesla experience.

Now I don't necessarily think its the end of the Tesla's SC or Destination charging, but its certainly a massive bomb that went off, and will take some time for things to sort themselves out.

I don't believe it was a calculated move at all, but one made out of anger.

This is why I think Elon should go.

He's no longer capable of making strategic long term decisions. The kind of decisions he used to make which convinced me to get a Tesla a long time ago.

The destination network for me at least has been hit or miss but it is definitely a welcome addition to the solid SC one. There are places where you can't find a SC so a destination one is a big bonus to have as a backup. People have been commenting that Tesla really needed that amount of people in that dept?

If you think about the amount of time it takes to work with local governments for permits, approval and then setting up reliable contractors to install, and power up the SCs it's a lot of heavy lifting for a customer to simply park, plug in with a high percentage of reliability. I can count only two times I've had an issue, and one was that I didn't read my screen indicating that the one I plugged into was out of order prior to getting there.

Anger is a powerful emotion that can cause a fragile ego to make decisions out of pure spite.

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[Zorg]

Hopefully Rivian can accelerate the RAN rollout and pick up experienced folks from Tesla SC team

 

[RedCanyon]

I just don't buy that philosophy. I could get a job at a Musk company if I wanted to but I have no desire to. I think he does well at start up companies and when those companies are young and growing. But he tends to ruin established companies (see Twitter) due to his nature of treating it like a startup. Tesla is next, and then it will be SpaceX if he gets fully control there.

My first response was going to be a question... do you want to bet on that? But then it occurred that I have already made that bet. I am a Tesla share holder (just increased my position), I am buying into a vehicle which will give me exposure to SpaceX... and I would own Neuralink and X.AI if I could. More credible is the number of others that have bet against your suggestion (and many others on this thread). Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world, and many analyst are forecasting it will ultimately be the most valuable company in the world. If Musk was removed as CEO (as many have suggested on this thread) it would loose 80% of its value overnight. ... something like $300 billion in valuation gone. Besides investors... over 110,000 people work for Musk companies. I expect even us Rivian drivers would be less likely to have the privilege to drive the vehicles we love if Musk hadn't plowed the way with Tesla and thus creating the excitement for EVs which allowed Rivian to go public at the value it did. FSD, Rockets to Mars, Neuralink, AI... it is all just amazing and I am happy to live in a time when we get to watch and benefit from all that he is creating.

 

[emoore]

My first response was going to be a question... do you want to bet on that? But then it occurred that I have already made that bet. I am a Tesla share holder (just increased my position), I am buying into a vehicle which will give me exposure to SpaceX... and I would own Neuralink and X.AI if I could. More credible is the number of others that have bet against your suggestion (and many others on this thread). Tesla is the most valuable car company in the world, and many analyst are forecasting it will ultimately be the most valuable company in the world. If Musk was removed as CEO (as many have suggested on this thread) it would loose 80% of its value overnight. ... something like $300 billion in valuation gone. Besides investors... over 110,000 people work for Musk companies. I expect even us Rivian drivers would be less likely to have the privilege to drive the vehicles we love if Musk hadn't plowed the way with Tesla and thus creating the excitement for EVs which allowed Rivian to go public at the value it did. FSD, Rockets to Mars, Neuralink, AI... it is all just amazing and I am happy to live in a time when we get to watch and benefit from all that he is creating.

Sure Rivian can thank Tesla for EVs, I agree with that. And SpaceX can thank all the rocket companies that came before him, Boeing, LM, ULA, GD, Raytheon, etc. Many many years of success before SpaceX was created.

 

[Tim-in-CA]

So... umm... who's going to handle site selection, permitting, utility contracts, etc. for all of these inductive chargers that will have to be installed to support your idea of a robotaxi network?

Optimus of course!

 

[thrill]

Optimus of course!

EM: "Do you think I made a good decision firing the team responsible for the most coveted Tesla feature?"

OP: “There's a thin line between being a hero and being a memory.”

 

[Hayseed_MS]

With Tesla it wasn't so much that you were buying the car, but that you were buying the entire Tesla experience.

Despite already knowing this, I still bought a Tesla.

 

[Zoidz]

And who is going to hire, plan, and oversee the subcontractors? No V4 has been deployed yet, it is unproven.

Since it should be build out, etc at this point for existing tech, the logical answer is the same group at Tesla who are already managing the other Telsa facilities - manufacturing plants, Supercharger locations that are already up and running, etc. Openings for just such a postions were posted three days ago. Coincidence....... or not?

 

[GogglesPisano]

Since it should be build out, etc at this point for existing tech, the logical answer is the same group at Tesla who are already managing the other Telsa facilities - manufacturing plants, Supercharger locations that are already up and running, etc. Openings for just such a postions were posted three days ago. Coincidence....... or not?

That is for a facilities person, not someone that updates superchargers. Those positions have all been put on hold as well and are being paired back as construction projects get cancelled or put on hold.

Also, there are plenty of posts on Reddit and other sites that are from businesses or contractors in the process of working to install a charging location that now have bounced emails with no point of contact.

Rest assured, this was not part of a big plan in a 10 step ahead of everyone game Elon is playing. This was pure spite against an exec that didn't want to play ball.

 

[Supratachophobia]

Simmer down Supra, I’m never said he’s a genius. I’m no fan boy, nor am I a rabid hater. But it ounds like your position is pretty clear. LOL! .

I simply want more information before evaluating this particular business decision.

cheers.

No, I demand we argue about this further as complete strangers with shared interests on the Internet.


Saying that out loud confirms I was being a tad bit of an ass. Thanks for setting me straight.

 

[SASSquatch]

Tesla dominated the NACS charging standard before it was the official charging standard. Letting others onto Tesla's network is not going to change anything except give non-Tesla owners more charging options. They can take them or leave them.

I'm not sure I understand your post. Tesla didn't dominate the NACS charging standard - they created it. Its their standard.

My thread was a warning that adopting a Tesla standard was putting too much power in the hands of a madman and...surprise. EM eliminates the entire charging team at a time when all other OEMs relented into switching to NACS.

 

[Riptide]

No, I demand we argue about this further as complete strangers with shared interests on the Internet.


Saying that out loud confirms I was being a tad bit of an ass. Thanks for setting me straight.

Haha, all good brother. I do enjoy a spirited debate when the time is right as well.

Like others mentioned in this thread, defending Musk would be a fools errand on most issues.

 

[manitou202]

 

[RedRaiderRivian]

More chargers will get installed.

https://www.bp.com/en_us/united-sta...ollar-order-of-tesla-ultra-fast-chargers.html

BP installed a 24 stall charging station in west Houston using 12 Tritium 150kw units. I used it last week and pulled 150 kw solid for the whole charge. https://www.plugshare.com/location/603202. I have not had but one failed CCS charge in the last 6 months at Chargepoint, EV Connect, EA and Volta stations. Things are way better in the CCS world than in 2023.

 

[RedRaiderRivian]

Do you think the entire team was axed with no intentions of rebuilding said team? I don't think that's the case at all.

Who is going to want to work on that team now? There can't be that big of a pool of talented people that have experience building a charging network. Most talented employees want to work somewhere that they feel they can make a difference in the world and have backing from the boss/management team. Musk just burned up what little credibility he had by doing to those employees exactly what he did at Twitter. Not treating employees this way is management 101.

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