Elon Musk’s Tesla has begun reinstating some of the nearly 500 employees from its Supercharging team who were laid off in late April, a massive U-turn after Musk was criticized for decimating the company’s supercharger plans.
Bloomberg reports that the exact number of rehired workers remains undisclosed, and both Musk and other executives have not responded to requests for comment. The sudden dissolution of the Supercharging team sent shockwaves through the electric vehicle industry, as Tesla’s Superchargers are widely regarded as one of the company’s most innovative products.
In the past year, Tesla successfully persuaded competitors to adopt its plugs as an industry standard and entered into agreements with many of the world’s largest automakers to grant access to its network.
Tesla vehicles plugged in and charging at a Supercharger rapid battery charging station. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).
Dead Tesla pushed in frigid Chicago temps (Fox 32 Chicago/YouTube)
One of the most notable rehires is Max de Zegher, the director of charging for North America, according to insider sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information. De Zegher was a top manager in the charging group, second only to Rebecca Tinucci, the senior director who was dismissed by Musk along with virtually the entire team.
Following widespread criticism, Musk pledged last week to invest “well over” $500 million in expanding Tesla’s charging network this year. This announcement came just days after the CEO stated that the company would slow down the pace of adding new chargers and instead focus on improving uptime and existing locations.
On May 10, the @TeslaCharging account on X/Twitter, the social media platform owned by Musk, expressed gratitude to charging site hosts and suppliers for their patience during the company’s internal restructuring. De Zegher reposted the message, further hinting at his involvement in the revamped charging team.
Since 2012, Charging has been a pillar of Tesla's mission, providing dependable freedom to travel.
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) May 10, 2024
Supercharging is the largest network globally, with the highest capital + operational efficiency, and we will continue to sustain & grow the network.
Thank you to site hosts &…
This is not the first time Musk has reversed impulsive cost-cutting decisions. In 2019, he announced plans to close most Tesla stores and shift sales online, catching his sales team off guard. However, after landlords refused to release the company from its leases, Musk backtracked and raised vehicle prices just ten days later. A similar situation occurred at Twitter in late 2022, when dozens of employees were asked to return soon after Musk laid off approximately half of the company’s workforce.
Read more at Bloomberg here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
