A Tesla Executive Reassured Supercharger Team Days Before Musk Fired Its Staff

Earlier this week, Elon Musk laid off a 500-person team overseeing Tesla’s Supercharger Network, a move that stunned many employees and industry observers who consider the electrical charging stations one of Tesla’s key advantages. But just a couple weeks ago, one of Musk’s lieutenants reassured members of Tesla’s energy organization that Musk believed that Superchargers were critical to the company, according to an email viewed by The Information.

The email from Tesla senior director Mike Snyder raises questions about the strategy behind Musk’s surprise decision to fire the Supercharger team, including its top executive Rebecca Tinucci. The Superchargers replace gas stations for Tesla users and form the backbone for high-profile partnerships that Tesla has struck with the likes of Ford and GM to allow other electric vehicle owners to recharge their cars.

In the April 16 email from Snyder, he outlined a new leadership structure for the team, which was previously overseen by senior vice president Drew Baglino. Baglino left Tesla on April 14 ahead of Tesla’s announcement a day later that it would lay off more than 10% of its employees.