Following its ouster of founder Martin Eberhard and appointment of new chief executive Ze’ev Drori late last year, electric car maker Tesla Motors is going through a fresh round of layoffs, including several execs and members of its engineering team.
Eberhard revealed the news yesterday on his Tesla Founders blog in a post titled “Stealth Bloodbath,” listing 26 people (full list below) who have lost their jobs at Tesla through what he called “random firings on a daily basis,” and questioning the company’s motives.
Following Tesla’s production delays, the firings might seem like a good basis for concern, but a company spokesperson, Darryl Siry, told us there’s no reason to worry. “We’re letting go of people who are either not the best on the team, or are working on something that is not a priority,” he said in an interview.
The company’s new CEO is “holding people accountable at all levels, and that starts at the top,” Siry said of the executive departures. Three top execs were removed, including the vice presidents in charge of manufacturing and the White Star, Tesla’s upcoming mass-market model.
Supporters quoted by Eberhard on his blog disagree. “Everyone understands necessary, rational cost management actions in startups, but this was neither necessary nor rational,” writes one, with another stating that “The new management have slowly squeezed the life out of engineering.”
Siry, in turn, points out that the company has over 250 employees, and is growing out of its startup phase. “I think [the layoffs] are normal. It’s painful, it’s difficult, but it’s not unusual,” he said. And, he added, some of the layoffs were only contractors, or date back to October of last year.
It’s also worth noting that Tesla has already opened a wait list for the 2009 Roadster. The company also says it is still on track for a 2010 release of the White Star.
The full list of dismissals from Eberhard’s blog is below:
Update: We’ve removed the names following a polite request by someone on the list concerned about privacy. Also note that the employment terms of some people on this list are actually not scheduled to end until next month.
- writer – owner’s manuals
- VP Manufacturing
- Software development engineer
- firmware development engineer
- lead engineer on Tesla’s motor team; creator of Tesla’s motor
- CIO
- formerly VP of Service & Support, then demoted to Director
- manufacturing engineering manager
- software development engineer
- VP Whitestar
- the original, sassy moderator of the Tesla blog
- firmware engineer
- world famous motor expert
- systems engineer, working on service diagnositcs
- Communications director
- Transmission Team
- Buyer
- Vehicle Development Engineer
- Technical Writer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Motor Team
- Supply Manager
- Supply chain manager
- UK Logistics Manager
- Human resoures
- Web Developer
7 Comments
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Don said:
Maybe these engineers were responsible for the transmission issue?
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Chris Morrison said:
As far as I know, Don, the transmission issue is partially a problem with outside manufacturers, and partially an internal problem. There may have been other production delays, but the company is in the main presenting this as “trimming the fat,” so to speak, in order to minimize unnecessary costs. (Although I don’t think a company spokesman would phrase it in such a cold-blooded way.)
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anon said:
Is there any chance that puppets of the big boys or oil companies have infiltrated Tesla with the aim of destroying it from the inside?
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simple sam said:
Or the cheap investor has now eliminated all the people who actually designed the tech so that he is the only profiting. look at that list, for a minute, the firmware, the manuals, the engine, and the original designer was fired already… it would not surprise me if they simply don’t want anyone to be able to claim any of the tech or anyone other than the investors to profit from it. Then again we are at least seeing the first step that should have been made two or more decades ago.
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Andre said:
When the noise level moves up and the finger pointing starts that is when we have seen the beginning of the end. The concept is great, it is certainly timely and obviously Tesla was able to convince lot’s of money to get involved, probably more of a viceral investment than a well thought out one. I hate to say it but in my opinion this almost has the same eerie story line of DeLorean motors. A startup building something totally different for the era, raising private capital by showing futuristic designs and having a darling from the auto industry at the forfront. The problem is that expenses spiral out of control, there is not a major auto company, or their respective checkbook, behind the company and now that the hype has been sold and the delays or excuses are coming watch out. Could be a high profile write off or write down.
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Mark said:
Hmmm - Google Cache anyone?
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Stephen Lynn said:
Looking to contact one of these guys (Wally). Does anyone have contact information?
7 Trackbacks
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“Stealth bloodbath” cuts 10 percent at Tesla Motors [Layoffs] »TechAddress said:
[...] Tesla Motors founder Martin Eberhard, who was ousted from the company a month ago, lists the names and titles of 26 Tesla employees he claims have been fired following the installation of new management. The turnover came after the company missed its deadline to ship its first batch of 100 electric sports cars. Tesla’s new management has attributed the delay to problems with the car’s unique tranmission. Asks Eberhard, “Is this really the right time for Tesla to be tightening its belt? Get the transmission working and ship the cars. No show stoppers here!” Tesla’s VP of marketing, Darryl Siry, is a regular commenter at Jalopnik and Valleywag. Darryl, any comment? VentureBeat has more reporting. [...]
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