Elon Musk Just FIRED Tesla's Charging Team. What NOW?

Tesla's Supercharger Network has long been viewed as a pinnacle of EV fast charging by many in the automotive industry. In Europe, Superchargers are an important part of the wider EV charging landscape (thanks to the fact that all EVs in Europe use CCS Type 2 charging connectors).

In the U.S. and Canada, Tesla's Supercharger network has outperformed CCS Type 1 in terms of reliability that most automakers are now planning on moving away from CCS toward NACS (SAE J3400).

But exactly as that transition has begun, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has just fired the entirety of Tesla's Charging team, leaving rival automakers in the dark, customers questioning what's happening, and significant uncertainty over the future of Tesla's cooperation.

So what's going on? What do we know? And what's still up in the air?

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00:00 - Introduction
01:53 - A quick backgrounder
04:00 - Europe Vs North America and Charging Standards
06:50 - Elon Fires the Charging team
07:21 - What we know...
09:51 - Why this is such devastating news
11:51 - Everyone in the dark
12:30 - EVs are already being attacked..
14:00 - Maybes (we don't know)
15:31 - What appears to be true
16:41 - What can we do NOW?
21:04 - Closing Thoughts
21:54 - Thanks, and Goodbye!

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Links:

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Presenter, Script, Audio, Editor: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield.
Camera, Colorist: M. Horton
Art and Animation: Erin Carlie
Producer: Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield
© Transport Evolved LLC, 2024
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[andders]

So Elon decided to destroy the one part even non Tesla owner had to admit was the best.

[ParodyGuy]

The EV world is becoming a mess at a time when it should be building out rapidly.

[DavidJohnson-tvnn]

I've been calling out Musk on his BS for some time now. And every time, get hammered by a bunch of Musk fans who think their guy can do no wrong. Maybe some day they will realize that he is far from perfect.

[sirenbrian]

This is an inexplicably weird move, done brutally and in a way that makes other car companies question why they're getting in bed with Tesla on the NACS charging standard. If there's a good explanation for this boneheaded decision I can't WAIT to hear it.

[seyi]

I find it somewhat humorous that so many people are trying to explain/defend this move by Elmo as strategic, "4D chess", or some other nonsense. It's quite clearly a vindictive knee jerk reaction to someone pushing back on his counterproductive edicts (fire more people), with no forethought or care for the consequences for the business. I long-ago decided that my 2018 Model 3 was the very last time I spend money on a Tesla product, and I know many, many people in the same boat... because of Elmo. If the major Tesla shareholders don't force him out soon, I suspect we will see a continued deterioration and possible implosion of the company.

[fivefive]

Tesla board needs to nut up and fire Elon.

[SmartMart]

As a Tesla share holder and Model Y owner I agree 100% - this is the dumbest thing Elon has done to date.

[AlainODea]

This seems like an ill-considered and mercurial decision. Superchargers are one of the principal differentiators for buying a Tesla vs another EV. Without this team, the Supercharger network is bound to suffer. I'm baffled and sad about this.

[Carl_in_AZ]

Maybe if I eat some more edibles I can better understand the new Tesla plan.

[alantupper]

My one whimsical hope is that someone scoops up the newly freed Supercharger team and gives them the budget needed to build out a strong competitor NACS network. A long shot to be sure, but talk about a golden opportunity.

[aznetglobal]

Elon has just created the hottest new startup if someone can hire the group enmass.

[waynelevett]

Maybe the other EV makers should employ the 500 strong tesla charging team. They can pay the wages ???

[JimRuel]

A megalomaniac in control of the primary charging network was a dubious proposition from the outset. Gas stations are significantly more complicated to maintain. I dont see this as a long term issue as ev sales continue to ramp up. There's too much revenue to be made.

[rklauco]

What I find fascinating is that the same man that fires the whole team to save costs is fighting the record breaking CEO payback in court :)

[KalleSWBeck]

Getting everyone to switch to your standard then cutting funding is the most Elon thing ever.

[jeffreymerriam]

As a stockholder, I thought I was going to be able to vote that guy out. It infuriates me that he is asking for $56 BILLION while firing employees "to save money"

[Dvortex]

Love the guillotine thumbnail! Props to the designer 👏

[UlrichWulf]

I'd get the old gang back together and create a startup producing a breathtakingly brilliant charging network.
Then make Tesla pay an arm and a leg to be able to use it ;-)

[lamplighter]

This feels like Musk is cutting off his nose to spite his face. Due increasing competition and softening EV sales, Tesla is facing head winds in its automotive sales. The Supercharger network promises to be a money spinner, but not if it starts exhibiting the same issues as other networks. If that happens, the adaption of NACS as a standard will slow. It will also offer an opening to other providers of public charging.

[MarkLLawrence]

I just picture that meme where someone is riding a bike, jams a stick into their front tire, then wrecks. Elon would be the one riding the bike in this one.