Latest news with #TeslaEmployeesAgainstElon
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Insider interview with ex-Tesla manager reveals it could soon be 'game over' for Elon Musk's Tesla: 'I don't think that there's anything he can do'
A former Tesla general manager has turned heads with a shocking new interview in which he laid the struggling EV maker's troubles squarely at the feet of CEO Elon Musk. Once a five-year Tesla employee and still a Tesla owner, Matthew Labrot lost his job just days after founding the group Tesla Employees Against Elon, according to the Hard Reset Substack, which conducted an exclusive interview with Labrot. Futurism shined additional light on the story, highlighting how Labrot went as far as to say it's "game over" for Tesla under Musk. "It's time to say the quiet part out loud," Labrot originally wrote in an anonymous letter to other Tesla workers prior to being fired, per Hard Reset. "Let's be clear: we are not the problem. Our products are not the problem. Our engineering, service, and delivery teams are not the problem. The problem is demand. The problem is Elon." Despite being passionate about the company's mission to deliver electric vehicles to the world, Labrot said his concerns grew as Musk's public antics became more political and more controversial. "We noticed customers, return customers, shying away from us a little bit," Labrot told Hard Reset. "And that's when I started to see the things he was putting on Twitter and the political views he started to have." Labrot became increasingly disillusioned as Musk's politics aligned him with the very people, industries, and policies that were in direct opposition to Tesla's core mission as an electric-vehicle company. "The people that he was choosing to support were the exact people we had been fighting against while trying to accelerate sustainable energy," Labrot told Hard Reset. Data backs Labrot's observations about customer enthusiasm, with a huge drop in Tesla's sales coinciding with an increase in Musk's public-facing political activism. Year-over-year sales figures in Europe, a key market for electric vehicles, showed a staggering 49% drop in April, per CNBC. The decline came even as overall electric-vehicle sales increased by 34.1%. Globally, Tesla sales plunged 13% in the first quarter of 2025 as compared to the year prior, according to Yahoo! Finance. What do you think of Tesla and Elon Musk? Elon is the man Love the company; hate the CEO I'm not a fan of either I don't have an opinion Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Tesla's slumping sales are bad news for consumers and the environment. In 2024, the Tesla Model Y outcompeted the Toyota Corolla to become the world's number-one-selling vehicle, according to Statista. Removing the world's best-selling vehicle from many consumers' list of viable options means fewer choices available and perhaps not purchasing the vehicle that otherwise would have been best for them and their families. As a result, some of these would-be Tesla customers could end up purchasing pollution-releasing, dirty-fuel-burning vehicles instead of an EV, further delaying the transition to a clean-energy future. Thankfully, people looking to purchase an electric vehicle have more options now than ever before. While the EV market more broadly continues to grow at a rapid rate, Labrot did not foresee such a rosy future for Tesla, once the industry's dominant player. Short of Musk completely departing the company and selling all his shares, Labrot didn't think there was much Tesla could do at this point to alter perceptions. "I don't think that there's anything he can do to change the people's opinion that have decided they're not going to support Tesla outside of him leaving," Labrot told Hard Reset. "I think for Tesla, as far as vehicle sales go, it's game over." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Insider interview with ex-Tesla manager reveals it could soon be 'game over' for Elon Musk's Tesla: 'I don't think that there's anything he can do'
A former Tesla general manager has turned heads with a shocking new interview in which he laid the struggling EV maker's troubles squarely at the feet of CEO Elon Musk. Once a five-year Tesla employee and still a Tesla owner, Matthew Labrot lost his job just days after founding the group Tesla Employees Against Elon, according to the Hard Reset Substack, which conducted an exclusive interview with Labrot. Futurism shined additional light on the story, highlighting how Labrot went as far as to say it's "game over" for Tesla under Musk. "It's time to say the quiet part out loud," Labrot originally wrote in an anonymous letter to other Tesla workers prior to being fired, per Hard Reset. "Let's be clear: we are not the problem. Our products are not the problem. Our engineering, service, and delivery teams are not the problem. The problem is demand. The problem is Elon." Despite being passionate about the company's mission to deliver electric vehicles to the world, Labrot said his concerns grew as Musk's public antics became more political and more controversial. "We noticed customers, return customers, shying away from us a little bit," Labrot told Hard Reset. "And that's when I started to see the things he was putting on Twitter and the political views he started to have." Labrot became increasingly disillusioned as Musk's politics aligned him with the very people, industries, and policies that were in direct opposition to Tesla's core mission as an electric-vehicle company. "The people that he was choosing to support were the exact people we had been fighting against while trying to accelerate sustainable energy," Labrot told Hard Reset. Data backs Labrot's observations about customer enthusiasm, with a huge drop in Tesla's sales coinciding with an increase in Musk's public-facing political activism. Year-over-year sales figures in Europe, a key market for electric vehicles, showed a staggering 49% drop in April, per CNBC. The decline came even as overall electric-vehicle sales increased by 34.1%. Globally, Tesla sales plunged 13% in the first quarter of 2025 as compared to the year prior, according to Yahoo! Finance. What do you think of Tesla and Elon Musk? Elon is the man Love the company; hate the CEO I'm not a fan of either I don't have an opinion Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Tesla's slumping sales are bad news for consumers and the environment. In 2024, the Tesla Model Y outcompeted the Toyota Corolla to become the world's number-one-selling vehicle, according to Statista. Removing the world's best-selling vehicle from many consumers' list of viable options means fewer choices available and perhaps not purchasing the vehicle that otherwise would have been best for them and their families. As a result, some of these would-be Tesla customers could end up purchasing pollution-releasing, dirty-fuel-burning vehicles instead of an EV, further delaying the transition to a clean-energy future. Thankfully, people looking to purchase an electric vehicle have more options now than ever before. While the EV market more broadly continues to grow at a rapid rate, Labrot did not foresee such a rosy future for Tesla, once the industry's dominant player. Short of Musk completely departing the company and selling all his shares, Labrot didn't think there was much Tesla could do at this point to alter perceptions. "I don't think that there's anything he can do to change the people's opinion that have decided they're not going to support Tesla outside of him leaving," Labrot told Hard Reset. "I think for Tesla, as far as vehicle sales go, it's game over." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Former Tesla Dealership Manager Says It's "Game Over" for Elon Musk
Back in May, as Tesla Takedown rallies and anti-Musk vandalism rocked the world, Tesla dealership manager Matthew LaBrot launched "Tesla Employees Against Elon" — an act of protest that swiftly got him fired. We wrote about LaBrot's symbolic act of defiance against Musk's political maneuvers at the time. Now, a fresh tell-all interview with Hard Reset is shining some light on just how drastically things have changed for Tesla over the past few months. LaBrot is, first and foremost, a Tesla superfan. He currently rotates between driving a Tesla Model Y and a Cybertruck, despite getting sacked by the company. A self-described "EV activist," LaBrot's issue isn't with the brand per se, as his website makes clear: "the problem is Elon." "You know, this wasn't a new thing for me," he said of his digital protest. "For almost six years, I've been focused on overcoming misinformation about EVs and helping grow that mission." "Once we hit a tipping point where the person who's running this company is now pushing customers away from the mission, then the priority shifted," he continued. "That priority was to be an activist to try to save the company." Having worked with Tesla since 2019, LaBrot had a front row seat as the trepidation with Musk began to set in. In recent years, he found it wasn't hesitation over electric vehicles, but with the noxious man the brand now seemed to represent pushing customers away. "We noticed customers, return customers, shying away from us a little bit," he noted. "And that's when I started to see the things that he [Musk] was putting on Twitter and the political views he started to have." The tipping point, the former EV salesman said, was the billionaire's infamous salute. "When it came to the salute — I still call it a salute — I was like, Tesla's going to take care of this," he told Hard Reset. "In 2010, CEOs were getting fired for having affairs. This guy's doing all this crazy stuff and Tesla's not going to do anything?" That was when he realized how deep Musk's rot went, especially when Tesla's board of directors "doubled down and made him even more of a figurehead." Now, LaBrot's not surprised that decision is biting those same executives in the craw. Going forward, "they're absolutely hosed," he said. "I expect gigantic drops in sales, even potentially lower than Q1 sales." Asked whether Musk can fix the damage he's caused the brand, the former manager isn't optimistic. "I don't think that there's anything he can do to change the people's opinion that have decided they're not going to support Tesla outside of him leaving," LaBrot asserted. "A lot of people that I've spoken to don't even think that's enough at this point," he added. "They want him to sell all his shares and things like that, which I don't expect. I think for Tesla, as far as vehicle sales go, it's game over." More on Tesla: Tesla Can't Find Legal Places to Store All Its Unsold Cybertrucks Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
NDTV
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- NDTV
Tesla Employee Claims He Was Sacked For Criticising Elon Musk Amid Plummeting Sales
A now-former Tesla staff program manager has claimed that he was fired from the job after he called out CEO Elon Musk for hurting the company and the car sales. Matthew LaBrot, who joined the company in 2019, calling it his dream job, took to LinkedIn to share his story. "I was let go from Tesla nearly two weeks ago," wrote Mr LaBrot, adding that it was his anonymously created website called "Tesla Employees Against Elon" where he demanded that Mr Musk step down, led to his axing. In April, Mr LaBrot created the website where he laid out his manifesto against Mr Musk and his leadership that has led to plummeting car sales. The ex-Tesla employee said the company was at a crossroads and that a decision needed to be made. "The damage done to Elon's personal brand is now irreversible and as the public face of Tesla, that damage has become our burden. We are now at a crossroads: continue with Elon as CEO and face further decline as customers abandon the brand, or move forward without him and allow our products and mission to succeed or fail on their own," wrote Mr LaBrot. Calling Mr Musk's recent decision to "refocus" on Tesla as tone-deaf, Mr LaBrot said the billionaire's lack of attention towards the company had led to the current predicament. "Our products are not the problem. Our engineering, service, and delivery teams are not the problem. The problem is demand. The problem is Elon," he said. "The sustainable energy movement that Tesla helped bring to the mainstream will continue, but if we don't act now, it will continue without us." Tesla in turmoil? In April, Tesla reported a 13 per cent drop in first-quarter auto sales amid lower production during factory upgrades and blowback over Mr Musk's work for the Donald Trump administration. In France, Tesla EV sales plunged by 59 per cent, the company's third-biggest market in the European Union. Overall, the first quarter sales in Europe fell by 37 per cent, despite overall EV sales rising by 28 per cent. Additionally, the automaker's net income during this period tumbled by a staggering 71 per cent.
The Advertiser
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
"The problem is Elon": Tesla employees demand Musk resign
A group of employees from electric carmaker Tesla have written an open letter to company CEO Elon Musk demanding he step down – with at least one worker claiming he was fired as a result. The letter was posted on a website called Tesla Employees Against Elon, with the site's homepage including the sub-head 'Tesla is ready to move on'. The letter, addressed to 'Whom It May Concern', says "Tesla is at a pivotal moment". "We are now at a crossroads: continue with Elon [Musk] as CEO and face further decline as customers abandon the brand, or move forward without him and allow our products and mission to succeed or fail on their own." "Tesla is ready to move forward. And we're ready to move forward without Elon as CEO." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Neither Mr Musk nor the carmaker have publicly responded to the letter, however an account created to share the letter on social media platform 'X' – which Mr Musk owns – has been closed but remains on other platforms. The public complaint comes following rumours Tesla board members were canvassing for a replacement CEO amid claims of dissatisfaction and suggestions Mr Musk had been distracted from the car maker. Both Tesla and Mr Musk emphatically denied any plans he'd be replaced – or stepping down – as Tesla CEO. While Mr Musk is also the CEO of SpaceX – having handed over the CEO role of X to Linda Yaccarino in June 2023 – the primary concern was around the impact of the Tesla chief's prominent position as a 'special government employee' under US President Donald Trump. Mr Musk's role in the administration of President Trump – who was inaugurated on 20 January 2025 – coincided with Tesla suffering dramatic sales slides globally. The brand posted its first annual sales fall in its history during the 2024 calendar year, and while it was one per cent it came against eight per cent sales growth for annus horribilis led into even bigger slumps in Europe, China, Australia and even in the US in the first three months of 2025 with Chinese rival BYD surging ahead in the global sales race. The biggest slumps for Tesla occurred in Europe, with consecutive monthly sales falls in Germany seeing it 45.9 per cent down year-on-year by the end of April, with Tesla's UK sales down 62.0 per cent. Tesla Australia sales were down 76 per cent year-on-year in April 2025. "This is not because our cars got worse," the open letter said. "Not because of affordability issues. But because people no longer want to associate with Elon. That's it. That's the truth." Mr Musk – who predicted a 20 to 30 per cent sales increase for 2025 – claimed he would give full attention to Tesla with his government role due to end on May 30, 2025 as legally required. The employees behind the new site are sceptical of Mr Musk's claims. "Elon's recent claim that he is "refocusing" on Tesla is not only tone-deaf, it's insulting," the letter reads. "It implies that the hardships of the past six months stem from a lack of his attention, not from his actions. It shifts the blame onto the very people who have held this company together. "Let's be clear: we are not the problem. Our products are not the problem. Our engineering, service, and delivery teams are not the problem. The problem is demand. The problem is Elon." According to Fortune, one of the authors of the letter – Matthew LaBrot – has lost his job as a result. "I believe in Tesla's mission more than I fear its CEO," Mr LaBrot wrote on LinkedIn – as reported by Fortune – after claiming he lost his 'dream job' of six years for his criticism of the Tesla CEO. Tesla Australia told CarExpert it is not focussed on Mr Musk, but is instead determined to get customers into the facelifted Model Y SUV, an update of the best-selling EV in both the world and Australia in 2024. The carmaker is also planning to introduce more affordable versions of the Model Y – scrapping plans for a stand-alone cut-price entry-level model – as well as rolling out its robotaxi fleet in the US. Yet challenges remain, with the robotaxi program – set to be introduced as a paid service taking customers in Austin, Texas, in June – now being probed by the US safety body NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). NHTSA – a department Mr Musk had proposed to cut funding to in his government role – has asked Tesla to provide more assurances on the performance of the Cybercab fully autonomous taxis in poor weather conditions. It may yet see further delays, impacting the rollout and Tesla's ongoing performance. Content originally sourced from: A group of employees from electric carmaker Tesla have written an open letter to company CEO Elon Musk demanding he step down – with at least one worker claiming he was fired as a result. The letter was posted on a website called Tesla Employees Against Elon, with the site's homepage including the sub-head 'Tesla is ready to move on'. The letter, addressed to 'Whom It May Concern', says "Tesla is at a pivotal moment". "We are now at a crossroads: continue with Elon [Musk] as CEO and face further decline as customers abandon the brand, or move forward without him and allow our products and mission to succeed or fail on their own." "Tesla is ready to move forward. And we're ready to move forward without Elon as CEO." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Neither Mr Musk nor the carmaker have publicly responded to the letter, however an account created to share the letter on social media platform 'X' – which Mr Musk owns – has been closed but remains on other platforms. The public complaint comes following rumours Tesla board members were canvassing for a replacement CEO amid claims of dissatisfaction and suggestions Mr Musk had been distracted from the car maker. Both Tesla and Mr Musk emphatically denied any plans he'd be replaced – or stepping down – as Tesla CEO. While Mr Musk is also the CEO of SpaceX – having handed over the CEO role of X to Linda Yaccarino in June 2023 – the primary concern was around the impact of the Tesla chief's prominent position as a 'special government employee' under US President Donald Trump. Mr Musk's role in the administration of President Trump – who was inaugurated on 20 January 2025 – coincided with Tesla suffering dramatic sales slides globally. The brand posted its first annual sales fall in its history during the 2024 calendar year, and while it was one per cent it came against eight per cent sales growth for annus horribilis led into even bigger slumps in Europe, China, Australia and even in the US in the first three months of 2025 with Chinese rival BYD surging ahead in the global sales race. The biggest slumps for Tesla occurred in Europe, with consecutive monthly sales falls in Germany seeing it 45.9 per cent down year-on-year by the end of April, with Tesla's UK sales down 62.0 per cent. Tesla Australia sales were down 76 per cent year-on-year in April 2025. "This is not because our cars got worse," the open letter said. "Not because of affordability issues. But because people no longer want to associate with Elon. That's it. That's the truth." Mr Musk – who predicted a 20 to 30 per cent sales increase for 2025 – claimed he would give full attention to Tesla with his government role due to end on May 30, 2025 as legally required. The employees behind the new site are sceptical of Mr Musk's claims. "Elon's recent claim that he is "refocusing" on Tesla is not only tone-deaf, it's insulting," the letter reads. "It implies that the hardships of the past six months stem from a lack of his attention, not from his actions. It shifts the blame onto the very people who have held this company together. "Let's be clear: we are not the problem. Our products are not the problem. Our engineering, service, and delivery teams are not the problem. The problem is demand. The problem is Elon." According to Fortune, one of the authors of the letter – Matthew LaBrot – has lost his job as a result. "I believe in Tesla's mission more than I fear its CEO," Mr LaBrot wrote on LinkedIn – as reported by Fortune – after claiming he lost his 'dream job' of six years for his criticism of the Tesla CEO. Tesla Australia told CarExpert it is not focussed on Mr Musk, but is instead determined to get customers into the facelifted Model Y SUV, an update of the best-selling EV in both the world and Australia in 2024. The carmaker is also planning to introduce more affordable versions of the Model Y – scrapping plans for a stand-alone cut-price entry-level model – as well as rolling out its robotaxi fleet in the US. Yet challenges remain, with the robotaxi program – set to be introduced as a paid service taking customers in Austin, Texas, in June – now being probed by the US safety body NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). NHTSA – a department Mr Musk had proposed to cut funding to in his government role – has asked Tesla to provide more assurances on the performance of the Cybercab fully autonomous taxis in poor weather conditions. It may yet see further delays, impacting the rollout and Tesla's ongoing performance. Content originally sourced from: A group of employees from electric carmaker Tesla have written an open letter to company CEO Elon Musk demanding he step down – with at least one worker claiming he was fired as a result. The letter was posted on a website called Tesla Employees Against Elon, with the site's homepage including the sub-head 'Tesla is ready to move on'. The letter, addressed to 'Whom It May Concern', says "Tesla is at a pivotal moment". "We are now at a crossroads: continue with Elon [Musk] as CEO and face further decline as customers abandon the brand, or move forward without him and allow our products and mission to succeed or fail on their own." "Tesla is ready to move forward. And we're ready to move forward without Elon as CEO." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Neither Mr Musk nor the carmaker have publicly responded to the letter, however an account created to share the letter on social media platform 'X' – which Mr Musk owns – has been closed but remains on other platforms. The public complaint comes following rumours Tesla board members were canvassing for a replacement CEO amid claims of dissatisfaction and suggestions Mr Musk had been distracted from the car maker. Both Tesla and Mr Musk emphatically denied any plans he'd be replaced – or stepping down – as Tesla CEO. While Mr Musk is also the CEO of SpaceX – having handed over the CEO role of X to Linda Yaccarino in June 2023 – the primary concern was around the impact of the Tesla chief's prominent position as a 'special government employee' under US President Donald Trump. Mr Musk's role in the administration of President Trump – who was inaugurated on 20 January 2025 – coincided with Tesla suffering dramatic sales slides globally. The brand posted its first annual sales fall in its history during the 2024 calendar year, and while it was one per cent it came against eight per cent sales growth for annus horribilis led into even bigger slumps in Europe, China, Australia and even in the US in the first three months of 2025 with Chinese rival BYD surging ahead in the global sales race. The biggest slumps for Tesla occurred in Europe, with consecutive monthly sales falls in Germany seeing it 45.9 per cent down year-on-year by the end of April, with Tesla's UK sales down 62.0 per cent. Tesla Australia sales were down 76 per cent year-on-year in April 2025. "This is not because our cars got worse," the open letter said. "Not because of affordability issues. But because people no longer want to associate with Elon. That's it. That's the truth." Mr Musk – who predicted a 20 to 30 per cent sales increase for 2025 – claimed he would give full attention to Tesla with his government role due to end on May 30, 2025 as legally required. The employees behind the new site are sceptical of Mr Musk's claims. "Elon's recent claim that he is "refocusing" on Tesla is not only tone-deaf, it's insulting," the letter reads. "It implies that the hardships of the past six months stem from a lack of his attention, not from his actions. It shifts the blame onto the very people who have held this company together. "Let's be clear: we are not the problem. Our products are not the problem. Our engineering, service, and delivery teams are not the problem. The problem is demand. The problem is Elon." According to Fortune, one of the authors of the letter – Matthew LaBrot – has lost his job as a result. "I believe in Tesla's mission more than I fear its CEO," Mr LaBrot wrote on LinkedIn – as reported by Fortune – after claiming he lost his 'dream job' of six years for his criticism of the Tesla CEO. Tesla Australia told CarExpert it is not focussed on Mr Musk, but is instead determined to get customers into the facelifted Model Y SUV, an update of the best-selling EV in both the world and Australia in 2024. The carmaker is also planning to introduce more affordable versions of the Model Y – scrapping plans for a stand-alone cut-price entry-level model – as well as rolling out its robotaxi fleet in the US. Yet challenges remain, with the robotaxi program – set to be introduced as a paid service taking customers in Austin, Texas, in June – now being probed by the US safety body NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). NHTSA – a department Mr Musk had proposed to cut funding to in his government role – has asked Tesla to provide more assurances on the performance of the Cybercab fully autonomous taxis in poor weather conditions. It may yet see further delays, impacting the rollout and Tesla's ongoing performance. Content originally sourced from: A group of employees from electric carmaker Tesla have written an open letter to company CEO Elon Musk demanding he step down – with at least one worker claiming he was fired as a result. The letter was posted on a website called Tesla Employees Against Elon, with the site's homepage including the sub-head 'Tesla is ready to move on'. The letter, addressed to 'Whom It May Concern', says "Tesla is at a pivotal moment". "We are now at a crossroads: continue with Elon [Musk] as CEO and face further decline as customers abandon the brand, or move forward without him and allow our products and mission to succeed or fail on their own." "Tesla is ready to move forward. And we're ready to move forward without Elon as CEO." Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Neither Mr Musk nor the carmaker have publicly responded to the letter, however an account created to share the letter on social media platform 'X' – which Mr Musk owns – has been closed but remains on other platforms. The public complaint comes following rumours Tesla board members were canvassing for a replacement CEO amid claims of dissatisfaction and suggestions Mr Musk had been distracted from the car maker. Both Tesla and Mr Musk emphatically denied any plans he'd be replaced – or stepping down – as Tesla CEO. While Mr Musk is also the CEO of SpaceX – having handed over the CEO role of X to Linda Yaccarino in June 2023 – the primary concern was around the impact of the Tesla chief's prominent position as a 'special government employee' under US President Donald Trump. Mr Musk's role in the administration of President Trump – who was inaugurated on 20 January 2025 – coincided with Tesla suffering dramatic sales slides globally. The brand posted its first annual sales fall in its history during the 2024 calendar year, and while it was one per cent it came against eight per cent sales growth for annus horribilis led into even bigger slumps in Europe, China, Australia and even in the US in the first three months of 2025 with Chinese rival BYD surging ahead in the global sales race. The biggest slumps for Tesla occurred in Europe, with consecutive monthly sales falls in Germany seeing it 45.9 per cent down year-on-year by the end of April, with Tesla's UK sales down 62.0 per cent. Tesla Australia sales were down 76 per cent year-on-year in April 2025. "This is not because our cars got worse," the open letter said. "Not because of affordability issues. But because people no longer want to associate with Elon. That's it. That's the truth." Mr Musk – who predicted a 20 to 30 per cent sales increase for 2025 – claimed he would give full attention to Tesla with his government role due to end on May 30, 2025 as legally required. The employees behind the new site are sceptical of Mr Musk's claims. "Elon's recent claim that he is "refocusing" on Tesla is not only tone-deaf, it's insulting," the letter reads. "It implies that the hardships of the past six months stem from a lack of his attention, not from his actions. It shifts the blame onto the very people who have held this company together. "Let's be clear: we are not the problem. Our products are not the problem. Our engineering, service, and delivery teams are not the problem. The problem is demand. The problem is Elon." According to Fortune, one of the authors of the letter – Matthew LaBrot – has lost his job as a result. "I believe in Tesla's mission more than I fear its CEO," Mr LaBrot wrote on LinkedIn – as reported by Fortune – after claiming he lost his 'dream job' of six years for his criticism of the Tesla CEO. Tesla Australia told CarExpert it is not focussed on Mr Musk, but is instead determined to get customers into the facelifted Model Y SUV, an update of the best-selling EV in both the world and Australia in 2024. The carmaker is also planning to introduce more affordable versions of the Model Y – scrapping plans for a stand-alone cut-price entry-level model – as well as rolling out its robotaxi fleet in the US. Yet challenges remain, with the robotaxi program – set to be introduced as a paid service taking customers in Austin, Texas, in June – now being probed by the US safety body NHTSA (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). NHTSA – a department Mr Musk had proposed to cut funding to in his government role – has asked Tesla to provide more assurances on the performance of the Cybercab fully autonomous taxis in poor weather conditions. It may yet see further delays, impacting the rollout and Tesla's ongoing performance. Content originally sourced from:
