In a surprise move, Musk pushed the team to build Tesla’s EV charging network

In a surprise move, Musk pushed the team to build Tesla’s EV charging network

Tesla has abruptly fired the team running its electric vehicle charging business, casting doubt on the future of one of the US’s largest charging networks, which other automakers, such as General Motors and Ford, have said they will also use.

In a social media post Tuesday, several Tesla employees confirmed the layoffs, first reported by The Information.

Tesla “has let our entire charging people go,” William Navarro Jameson, Tesla’s strategic charging program lead, wrote in X.

The lack of charging infrastructure is one of the main obstacles to widespread EV adoption, and Tesla’s extensive “Supercharger” network has long been a key selling point for its vehicles. Until recently, the network could only be used by Tesla vehicles.

Competitors are blindfolded
In a post on LinkedIn, Lane Chaplin, senior manager at Tesla’s charging division, wrote: “At midnight, I learned, along with all my #Tesla Global #Charging colleagues, that the Tesla Charging org is no more.”

But, following an invitation by Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, nearly every major automaker in the United States has committed to making EVs compatible with Tesla’s charging technology, now known as the North American Charging Standard.

In response, major EV charging providers such as Electrify America and EVgo have also announced that they will begin building chargers with NACS cables.

“What this means for the charging network, NACS and all the exciting work we’re doing across the industry, I don’t know yet,” Jameson wrote in his post.

Tesla has not responded to CNN’s request for comment. Musk said at X on Tuesday that the company “still plans to expand the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focused on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations.”

In a statement shared with CNN, Electrify America reiterated its plans to provide NACS chargers next year. General Motors said its plans to switch to NACS remain unchanged. “We continue to monitor the situation regarding the changes to the Supercharger team and the potential impact,” the company added in a statement.

‘Read room’ on EV request
General Motors said its plans to switch to NACS remain unchanged. “We continue to monitor the situation regarding the changes to the Supercharger team and the potential impact,” the company added in a statement.

Gene Munster, managing partner at Deepwater Asset Management, said the move “shows Tesla doesn’t see charging as a competitive advantage.”

“Since they opened up the network, it’s no longer profitable for companies to advance charging because it also helps their competitors,” he told CNN. “Tesla’s North Star is now (autonomous driving), and that’s where it comes from.”

According to Dan Ives, a senior analyst at Wedbush Securities, “Musk is reading space on softer EV demand around the world.”

“Tesla is going through a… demand storm and unfortunately a strategic change is needed to get the train back on track,” he told CNN, but added: “Removing an entire department is difficult.”