Tesla may have to rehire some of the laid-off employees to develop the Supercharger charging station network.
If this were to happen at another company, the story might be surprising. But with an impulsive CEO like Elon Musk, anything can happen. Tesla recently caused a stir by laying off about 10% of its workforce. This includes 500 employees in the field of Supercharger charging stations. However, due to the need to maintain the network and meet obligations due to the $17 million federal subsidy, Tesla might have to bring back former employees.
At least some of those 500 employees. At the time of the layoffs, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote on X: “Tesla still plans to grow the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focused on existing locations.” When someone asked him about a Supercharger charging station, Elon Musk said: “It will definitely open.”
“The locations under construction will be completed and we will add Supercharger stations wherever they are.”
Tesla not only needs operations staff, but also needs people to continue Supercharger projects under the agreement with the US government.
Additionally, according to Politico (the leading American newspaper focusing on government-related issues), Tesla also received a grant worth $17 million to complete additional charging stations.
When this information surfaced, it came as a surprise. Because how Tesla can do that without employees remains a big question. According to Bloomberg, this electric car manufacturer is negotiating to hire some people on the Supercharger team. That seems to be the best way for Tesla to meet its obligations and maintain operations.
The company can absolutely hire new employees or sign seasonal contracts, but someone will have to “point the finger from the start.” Meanwhile, even the person who was instrumental in bringing the Supercharger charging station to a historic deal has been fired. In fact, in addition to Tesla, several other companies also received this funding.
Tesla received $17 million to build 41 stations in the United States. And Francis Energy received $30.4 million. However, only 37 stations are planned to be built with this amount of money. The reason for this discrepancy is unknown. But with all relevant employees being laid off, it is now a question of whether Tesla will receive these $17 million or not.
Carscoops has attempted to contact Tesla to clarify the story. However, as the company does not have a PR department, it can only rely on Elon Musk’s social media posts or Tesla leaders’ proactive conversations with the press.
