Hunter Houston’s Post

The most critical factor when analyzing our energy transition is profitability, not the relative cost of clean energy compared to current carbon sources. This is logical when viewed within the framework that companies must operate in today. Firms are driven by profit, and for a successful transition to clean energy, it must be economically viable and attractive for businesses to invest in and adopt these technologies.

The Tesla Supercharger layoffs are either "sort of stupid, bad, or very bad for the electric vehicle transition," writes Robinson Meyer in his latest. Here are three ways of looking at the news: 😟 It’s worrisome for other EV automakers - The certainty of Tesla’s superior charging network is gone. How much more will the Tesla network expand now? 💥 It’s about hype - Musk continually steers his sometimes-profitable company toward the buzziest, most hyped-up phenomenon in the economy (in this case, AI). 👎 It’s a bad sign - If the economics don’t justify a further investment in chargers, the country is in a pickle. Read more below. #tesla #supercharger #layoffs #electricvehicles #EVs

With Ford, BMW, Mercedes, and others buying access the Tesla’s NACS ports, Tesla needs to ensure it has enough ports to support all these new users in existing locations, and that these ports are capable of efficiently charging these newcomers. Remember that many of the non-Tesla vehicles have their ports on the “wrong” side of the vehicle… meaning some Brand-X owners will be tempted to park at Station “A” but hook up to Station “B.” That’s going to go down very well with Tesla owners. Once Tesla designs a solution (if it doesn’t have one already), the work isn’t that hard to implement, and can probably be outsourced. Also, with all these new users, there is greater need to add more stations to existing locations, than to design and build new locations. Expanding existing locations is probably cheaper and faster than locating, scoping, permitting, and building new locations. And I’d be surprised if Tesla doesn’t already have permits and/or power for addition ports. So with all this in mind, letting go of 75% percent of their Supercharger staff (not the wrongly reported 100%) makes a lot of financisl sense… for the short term.

North America stands at a pivotal moment in its transition to electric vehicles. Until recently, Tesla held the spotlight as the sole successful EV manufacturer. The company's Supercharger network, years ahead of competitors, established the gold standard that others aspire to match. Given Tesla's dominance in the EV market and the nation's eagerness to bolster charging infrastructure, it's a head-scratcher that the company has opted to lay off most of its 500-person Supercharger team. The rationale behind this decision will undoubtedly spark debate. However, one thing remains clear: Tesla's slowdown in charging network expansion reverberates across the entire industry. With Tesla potentially forfeiting its once-greatest advantage, there's a prime opportunity for other players to seize the spotlight. Jameson Dow of Electrek.co delves into Tesla's recent layoffs and the potential industry ramifications of dismantling its Supercharger team - https://lnkd.in/gt7ZE4uZ

Is Tesla Ditching Solar for Self-Driving Cars? Layoffs Hint at a Major Shift Tesla announces layoffs and a strategic shift towards self-driving cars and battery storage. Is Tesla abandoning its sustainable energy masterplan? Read more to find out about Tesla's future. Read more... #Tesla #Layoffs #ElectricVehicles #SelfDrivingCars #Robotaxis #BatteryStorage #SolarEnergy #Sustainability

Elon Musk wants you to think Tesla still has a Supercharger plan despite mass layoffs: Filed under: Government/Legal,Green,Tesla,Electric Continue reading Elon Musk wants you to think Tesla still has a Supercharger plan despite mass layoffs Elon Musk wants you to think Tesla still has a Supercharger plan despite mass layoffs originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 May 2024 08:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  Email this |  Comments #car #cars #awesome

Tesla's Supercharger Expansion Hits Speed Bump After Layoffs Tesla’s once-rapid Supercharger network expansion has hit a snag following recent workforce reductions, according to a detailed report from The Wall Street Journal. This slowdown comes at a crucial time for the electric vehicle pioneer as it faces increasing competition and pressure to open its charging network to other automakers. The Numbers Behind the Slowdown The impact of the layoffs is evident in the numbers. For the first eight months of this year, new Supercharger port openings were down 11% compared to 2023. More starkly, the number of new ports opened from May through August fell by 28% over the […] by Haye Kesteloo #ev #Arizona #Country #ElonMusk #Ford #Make #Model3 #Nio #Polestar #Porsche #Rivian #SEC #Superchargernetwork #Tesla #Volvo

"More Tesla employees laid off as bloodbath enters its fourth week."😬 Services seems kind of important, no? 🛠 Tesla was already known for being backed up for service and repairs; this isn't going to help...📊 On the upside, there's a lot of EV talent now available for other OEMs and the troubles at Tesla are God news for competing EV brands, in particular Hyundai Motor Company (현대자동차). I hear nothing but good things about the Ioniq 5 and 6. ⚡️🚗 The future is electric. The future is now. 🔋🚚 Keep climbing! 💪📈 #electrification #evs #electricvehicles #salesmountaineer https://lnkd.in/ghqh-csm

Man, this is the dumbest decision I’ve seen. I test-drove many EVs before deciding on getting a Tesla Model 3, and the deciding factor was unquestionably the supercharger network. It is the best in the US and a huge differentiator for Tesla. Even if the supercharger network diverted resources from the company’s core goals, there were better alternatives. Selling or, better yet, spinning off as a JV could have preserved the invaluable institutional knowledge of the 500-person team. Keep in mind that this is the same team that just convinced every US car maker to make NACS the Tesla Charging standard the de facto US standard. In doing that, they opened the company to receive cash from Biden’s NEVI program. They’re getting free cash from us and the US government to expand this network. If you see something I’m missing, please let me know in the comments, but this single move seems like the best way to destroy one of the company’s best competitive advantages. https://lnkd.in/ecJsUMWK

Matthew Zeitlin makes sense of Tesla's latest spate of layoffs below: "Let’s just recap the past few weeks: First, Tesla released first-quarter delivery numbers that came up well short of even analysts’ most cynical predictions, followed by first-quarter earnings that were, in a word, poor. In between those two events, Reuters reported that Tesla had canceled a long-promised sub-$30,000 electric vehicle (a report CEO Elon Musk denied ... sorta), and the company laid off more than 10% of its workforce. All of which brings us to today and reports of further layoffs at Tesla, this time in the company’s Supercharging division. To just about everyone who follows the company, this was shocking news. Tesla’s Supercharging network isn’t just a competitive advantage, it’s the de facto national standard for EVs in the United States. Major automakers — Ford, Toyota, General Motors — and EV startups like Rivian have signed deals with Tesla to use its charger design, known as the North American Charging Standard and designed their new vehicles (or sent adapters) so their drivers can access the network. The Supercharging network was, however, consistent with what might now be called the 'old' model of Tesla — a company that tried to 'accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy,' as the company’s mission statement put it, by getting as many electric cars (ideally, but not solely, its own) on the road as possible. But that model seems to be on its way out. As Musk told investors on the earnings call, Tesla should be thought of 'thought of as an AI or robotics company' — not, anymore, as merely a car company." #tesla #layoffs #electricvehicles