Musk axes two more senior Tesla leaders, guts public policy team – report
- Reference: 1714502950
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/04/30/musk_tesla_layoff/
- Source link:
Elon Musk has announced Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla senior director of EV charging, and Daniel Ho, director of vehicle programs and new product initiatives, are [1]both out according to The Information. In Tinucci's case, her entire team of nearly 500 people working on Supercharging technology have also been cut.
The email claimed Tesla would continue to finish working on Supercharger units currently under construction and would build out "some" new ones, but beyond that the future of Tesla's supercharger network - and the [2]NACS standard championed by Tinucci that it uses - isn't clear.
[3]
Ho's 10-year career at Tesla included time as the program manager for the Model S, 3 and Y. His departure leaves a leadership gap at a crucial time when Tesla is [4]allegedly working on a robotaxi service and - despite earlier claims that the project was being canceled - is still pursuing a low-cost EV design as well.
[5]
[6]
Most of the public policy team that worked under former leader Rohan Patel was also reportedly axed in Musk's latest layoff missive. Like cutting a vehicle program director, letting go a public policy team while trying to launch the first-ever driverless cabbie network in the US is a bit counterintuitive. We assume the Cybercab is right around the corner along with that robot that turned out to be a man in a suit.
Patel was one of [7]three Tesla executives to depart earlier this month. With Tinucci and Ho being heaved, the car slinger's senior ranks are now light five people in less than three weeks.
[8]
We've reached out to Tesla to confirm the contents of the leaked communication and to ask some additional questions, and haven't heard back. It all reminds of us of Musk tearing staff out of Twitter.
[9]Musk moves Tesla's goalposts, investors happily move shares higher
[10]Gone in 35 seconds – the Cybertruck's misbehaving acceleration pedal
[11]Musk schmoozes Chinese Premier as Tesla Full Self-Driving remains parked
[12]Despite two previous court victories, Tesla settles third Autopilot liability case
Of the latest wave of layoffs, Tesla CEO Musk said he intended to be "absolutely hard core" about the near term of employment at Tesla. Leadership was instructed to terminate any staff who "don't obviously pass the excellent, necessary and trustworthy test," meaning the automaker might continue to cut HR costs.
Tesla hasn't exactly had a good run of late. The Cybertruck has mostly been a [13]mess ; sales, profit, and other typical markers of corporate success are [14]down ; prices have been [15]cut , and it seems like good ideas are a bit [16]hard to come by .
The justification for the gutting of teams whose work seems central to Tesla's current mission is questionable at best, but the cuts have to come from somewhere.
What - you don't expect Elon to [17]sacrifice a bit for his electric dreams, do you? ®
Get our [18]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theinformation.com/articles/musk-plans-more-layoffs-as-two-senior-tesla-executives-depart
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/28/sae_approves_standard_tesla_charger/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2ZjFp@HC@TenEiFcW2vfzUQAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/22/tesla_cuts_prices/
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZjFp@HC@TenEiFcW2vfzUQAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33ZjFp@HC@TenEiFcW2vfzUQAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://fortune.com/2024/04/23/tesla-elon-musk-ceo-executive-resign-earnings-call-electric-vehicle/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44ZjFp@HC@TenEiFcW2vfzUQAAANA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/24/musk_moves_tesla_goalposts_back/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/22/tesla_accelerator_fix/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/29/elon_musk_china_visit/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/09/tesla_settles_autopilot_case/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/20/cybertruck_car_wash_mode/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/24/tesla_q1_2024/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/22/tesla_cuts_prices/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/30/tesla_ai_workloads/
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/17/tesla_reinstate_musk_pay/
[18] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Rats + Sinking Ship
Once they are no longer employed by Tesla there are no filings required for their sales, so we'll never know.
Re: Rats + Sinking Ship
There still are for top executives who are looking to unload hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars worth of stock. Not sure how long it lasts, probably depends on how high up in the hierarchy you were, but we already know at least one of the execs (think it was the guy who quit in the middle of the earnings call) just dumped like his entire supply of Tesla stock.
Re: Rats + Sinking Ship
Though, someone will know (a broker, for example). One wonders just how far the bonds of client confidentiality actually go...
Shooting messengers
Straight out of the autocrat playbook - dismiss the competent in favour of yes-men if they show any sign of dissent.
Re: Shooting messengers
They are not "yes-men". They are simply people who pass the "trustworthy test". As anyone who questions orders cannot be trusted to carry out Musk's exact will to the letter.
After Tesla, SpaceX
The future of US space travel is not looking too great now that SpaceX will be the only (taxpayer subsidised) business left which Musk can squeeze money out of so that he can live in the way he's become accustomed.
Re: After Tesla, SpaceX
As much as I understand the decision to end the shuttle program, I still consider that to be one of Obama's biggest blunders. Sure, the shuttles were old, hard to repair, and a bunch of other things, but handing that sort of thing over to private companies? I suppose it's at least a little better than relying on the Russians, where safety is more of an afterthought if it's considered at all. They should have been working on a replacement for the shuttle decades ago. I mean, what if SpaceX or any other of the private companies being relied upon by NASA goes titsup? Then what?
Re: After Tesla, SpaceX
It's not Obama's fault that the fuel cells the Shuttles used were more or less unsupportable. The Shuttles were a very old design that could barely be supported at the end. They were always going to have to retire those vehicles.
The only thing that has been handed over to private companies really is flight ops. NASA in its glory days was using all manner of companies to manufacture whole space craft (LEM, Apollo, etc), NASA just owned the integration and launch facilities and ran the missions.
The Russian design is actuall good from a safety point of view. They're not fools when it comes to this kind of thing. Whether or not they can sustain reliable production is another matter.
They should indeed have been working on a Shuttle replacement long before its retuirement.
One of the big draws of Tesla is its supercharger network. Cutting the team that work on that is not going to help sales. Related, lots of American car makers said they'd switch to Tesla's charging connector. I wonder if they're going to start re-thinking that decision?
>Cutting the team that work on that is not going to help sales.
I've seen companies do this in other fields. Its usually followed up by the work restarting elsewhere, often in China.
We don't know what deals were cut by Musk when he was in China recently. The headlines talk about "FSD" being acceptable to their regulatory agencies but I suspect things have got a bit deeper since China is already the largest manufacturer -- and market -- for Teslas.
This is probably good news. A lot of the team will be picked up. They were more successful that others, and they have just been freed to start a 2.0 iteration without Tesla baggage.
A second network, or equipment suppliers, of compatible where it matters chargers that work properly, will be a very good thing. Other car makers are likely to feel more secure without Muskian flakiness hanging over charging.
( c.f. Fairchild shedding talent like influenza viruses, and spawning the semiconductor industry explosion. )
New old ideas
Wonder where he got the idea
The justification for the gutting of teams whose work seems central to [ Twitter's ]Tesla's current...
Strategy has worked so well at Xitter
Fire loads of staff, especially those who disagree with you. Flaut all laws & regulations. Speak your mind, even when you shouldn't. Ignore share price, board & investors - what do they know anyway?
Re: Strategy has worked so well at Xitter
Yup. Looks like Musk is starting to apply his "success" at Xitter to Tesla.
So, another bonfire has started. I'll get the popcorn . . .
Rats + Sinking Ship
The somewhat more interesting thing is how many of these people are offloading massive numbers of Tesla shares on their way out. It's almost like they expect the bottom to fall out at any minute.