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Tesla Hires Some Supercharger Network Workers Back

Just a few weeks after maverick Tesla CEO Elon Musk axed about 500 employees from the company’s Supercharger network team, the EV automaker is partly walking back the changes by rehiring at least some of the laid-off team members.

As Bloomberg reports, Max de Zegher is the most significant of the Tesla rehires as the North American charging director, while the number of lower-ranking rehires is currently unknown.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Elon Musk

The predictable furor resulting from Musk’s apparently knee-jerk decision to gut his Supercharger department likely prompted Tesla to at least partially roll back the layoffs. The Supercharger network is a valuable asset for Tesla, which has persuaded most automakers to adopt the NACS charging adapter initially developed for the company’s electric vehicles.

At the time, Musk tweeted that his company “still plans to grow the Supercharger network, just at a slower pace for new locations and more focus on 100 percent uptime and expansion of existing locations.” The move originally left the entire charging department nearly void of personnel.

An EV leaving a Tesla Supercharger station.

GM and other North American automakers got onboard with the idea of equipping their EVs with NACS connectors back in summer 2023. The General said it will adopt NACS standards beginning in 2025, similar to plans from other automakers. At the same time, GM shook hands with Tesla on an agreement that its vehicles would gain access to the North American Supercharger network of some 12,000 chargers in early 2024, though adapters would need to be used to hook up GM vehicles initially.

The first half of 2024 is nearly over and GM vehicle owners still have not gained access to even a single charger of the Tesla Supercharger network. The General has not mentioned any specific timeline for network access, either, as of April 2024. It said adapters will become “available through our GM vehicle brand apps later this year, allowing customers to find, charge, and pay for sessions at more than 15,000 Superchargers.”

A Ford F-150 Lightning using a Tesla Supercharger.

Meanwhile, the 2025 GMC Hummer EV will not get a NACS adapter, instead being produced with the Combined Charging System Combo 1 (CCS1) and the five-pin SAE J1772 charger connectors.

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Comments

  1. And people on here love to diss Mary. Elon is a piece of work. Your fired, oh wait no, your rehired and tomorrow I’ll probably be in a bad mood and fire everyone again. All while he is advertising for his 50B dollar bonus that was struck down in NJ. Mind you, Tesla does not advertise cars, they advertise for the boss’s bonus. For reference, tesla has sold in total around 5M cars. So Elon wants 10 grand of every one of those sales for himself as a bonus. My guess is if he gets his payout, he walks with it. I think he is bored with selling cars now. Too many competitors now.

    Reply
    1. Calling Elon “ a piece of work” is kind. I was thinking more in line with a piece of #$&*!

      Reply
    2. GM did the same thing back in 2019. My group had 25% laid off in 1 day, within a week they offered every one of them their jobs back, some with a pay increase.

      Reply
  2. Weren’t there other brands that were gaining access to the Tesla network too? Have any of them gained access yet.

    Reply
    1. Ford and Rivian

      Reply
    2. Also Hyundai and Kia.

      Reply
  3. I have been on two 2,300 mile road trips in 2024 with my 2024 Cadillac Lyriq. I found and used charging stations with ease on the trip. For my routes EVgo and Electrify America were the best and located next to restaurants and shopping. Made my 20 to 40 minute charges very easy. I’m looking forward to the adapter so I can use Tesla Superchargers as it really increases options. For 2 years I’m enjoying free from Cadillac charging at EVgo. The road trips are fun with the Lyriq’s comfortable ride, quietness and massaging seats. Super Cruise with Lane Change on demand and Automatic Lane Change is outstanding – use it whenever system says it’s available—- less tedious and safer driving. Pressing the OnStar button to ask questions from Cadillac EV Concierge is helpful.

    Reply

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