Fired Tesla Charging Employees Suggest Elon Musk Is an Authoritarian CEO

Two years ago, when Elon Musk was forced to keep his word and buy Twitter, we learned that the man likes to "move fast and break things." It wasn't us who said so, but Musk himself.

In a brief moment of unexpected transparency, we got a sneak peek into the world of a powerful person. That self-admitted management philosophy was a bit unexpected, but in the grand scheme of things, it made sense. After all, who else can lead so many important and profitable companies, invest in brand-new ventures, keep in touch with random people on social media, and start arguments with journalists, stars, and troll accounts?

I can't think of any other executive who is deeply involved in so many important projects and, at the same time, can affect the lives of millions of people. One could argue that such important roles can become a burden, especially since they involve traveling often and meeting with all sorts of government officials and many potential business partners. You always need to know what to say and what decisions to make. One wrong move is enough to destroy big plans, which could result in negative consequences for the lives of many.

Talking about wrong moves, Elon Musk is (again) in the midst of some trouble because he has decided to get rid of almost the entire Tesla Charging team, including Senior Director Rebeca Tinucci.

Getting rid of a great teammate

The woman was hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the "executive who keeps Tesla rolling," Time magazine called her "the driving force of the company," and our fellow colleagues at MotorTrend named her the second-most influential auto executive.

It's not hard to see why Tinucci was such a rising star. Tesla's biggest wins in 2023 were all related to its Supercharger business. NACS adoption by competitors, billions of public funds coming in, massive software changes, and the integrated NACS-to-CCS adapter (dubbed "Magic Dock") were all managed by Tinucci.

Besides that, she kept everyone connected. Figuring out where to build a new Supercharger requires more than just funds. You need to have the right people close to you, as it involves dealing with contractors and public authorities. It's not an easy feat, especially when the company you work for is known for being a disruptor that doesn't miss.

Moreover, you have customers who believe in Tesla's mission and actively engage with the company to help it make all the right decisions. Supercharger voting is one great example in this regard. People decide where they want a new high-power charging station and express their opinion in droves, which, in turn, gives Tesla a major advantage. It doesn't have to do its own due diligence regarding new Supercharger locations.

In addition to all that, the Supercharger stations are a thing of pride for Tesla. It helps the company with its brand tremendously. Those stalls don't just generate revenue; they are covert advertisements.

The term "non-Tesla EV" wasn't coined because the Model 3 is a fantastic zero-tailpipe emission vehicle or due to the Model X being the best eSUV ever. It's a thing solely thanks to the way Tesla owners are able to move around the country without fearing that their next charging stop might turn into a premature end for the journey.

V3 pedestals might not be the most powerful chargers around, but they sure are dependable. Recently, Tesla and its rivals have been dealing with acts of vandalism. Nefarious actors are clipping the thick charging cables, rendering the stalls useless. Their reasons remain unknown, but it's a huge issue. But even after firing the Charging team, Tesla still came on top.

While Electrify America told customers that it would repair its dispensers only after getting help from law enforcement, Tesla needed only half a day to bring an entire Supercharger station back online. It's a massive plus for the brand, especially when you account for its charging network's global presence.

"Concerning"

So, why on Earth would you get rid of a team that has worked wonders for your company?

It boggles the mind even more when you realize that Tesla admitted in official documents submitted to the SEC that it must continue expanding its charging network because other brands would soon get access to its high-power stalls.

As it turns out, Elon Musk was dissatisfied with how Tinucci responded to his request for a headcount reduction. The Senior Director had already fired around 20% of the people who were on her team, but the CEO thought that wasn't good enough and asked for even more layoffs.

Tinucci dared to say that would not be the best course of action, and Elon Musk simply decided to disband the entire department. Only some maintenance guys and gals remained.

On that same day, the CEO shared posts on his social media network about gender dysphoria problems in the UK, US immigration issues, and one of the first recordings of Andrea Bocelli performing "Con Te Partiro," which translates to "Time to Say Goodbye." He seemed all over the place, but Musk also confirmed that Tesla would continue to grow the Supercharger network, "just at a slower pace for new locations."

Eight former Tesla Charging employees talked to Reuters about what happened. They said that the CEO's surprising decision left many projects in limbo, upset contractors, and would require a lot of renewed effort to put everything back together.

Doing the ball change dance

Besides their statements, we also recently learned that Tesla is looking to hire back some of the people who have been fired. That isn't a good look, to say the least. It makes the world's most valuable automaker look like a startup trying to find a way out of imminent bankruptcy. Considering that global deliveries only dropped by around 8.5 percent, all these firings make little sense.

But what do all these changes mean for Tesla's future? After all, the automaker isn't great solely because Elon Musk is a good CEO. Its people are what transformed this brand into an international superstar. Will other professionals want to join Tesla, now that they know their job could disappear after a simple email or meeting with the boss? It's unlikely that the automaker can remain a top talent magnet.

The marque also plans to launch a Full Self-Driving-powered robotaxi, instead of a brand-new budget EV on August 8. It still hasn't solved autonomy, and the video-based route on which it put its (currently an SAE Level 2) advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) feels like a courageous bet made in the name of cost-cutting. Other players in the self-driving industry are using all sorts of extra sensors or radars.

It is obvious that Tesla needs all its other departments to work well or even better than before. But Charging is the one team the marque should not have touched. Simply put, too much hangs in the balance.

However, some argue that Tesla might not need the skills and expertise of all its employees. The Supercharger network is already up and running, the blueprints are there, a future-proofing strategy exists thanks to V4 pedestals, and contractors are taking care of building the sites. After 15 years, the marque might only require a smaller team with a different plan.

Besides that, other companies like BP are buying Tesla's Supercharger design and putting their own outer panels on them.

Deja Vu

Talking of BP, I remember a story about how Robert Horton changed the company and dramatically increased profits in the early '90s. He changed almost everything about how the entity operated and forced employees to spend way less than before. The executive also told workers to spend more time at the office and introduced new evaluation procedures that led to personnel trimmings.

As CEO, Horton refused to listen to anyone who told him that he could have been a bit more lenient. He fostered a culture of fear, where employees didn't want to be caught saying the "wrong" thing.
Initially, that strategy worked. Profits soared. Shareholders were very happy. But the workers were unhappy, and morale was at historic lows. Things went haywire after that early boost in productivity and revenue. He was forced to resign after only two years at the company's helm.

Elon Musk seems to follow a similar path. However, many people, including the automaker's board of directors, think that the CEO is doing a great job. They argue that Elon Musk should get his approximately $55 billion in stock.

It might sound crazy, but I side with the board on this one, even though I am not (and never was) a Tesla shareholder. There was a deal, and it should be respected. Besides that, Elon Musk is unpredictable. He could turn into a passive CEO and give up on Tesla's mission to solve autonomy and help the battery-powered vehicle become mainstream globally.

Unfortunately, disbanding the Charging team remains an irrational decision that makes many question what Elon Musk is ultimately looking for. He may be a mercurial leader, but destroying that department on a whim made the man look (almost too) impulsive and unpredictable. Some could even say that he acted like an autocrat.

Tesla still plans to grow the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focus on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 30, 2024