Tesla is experiencing turbulent times, leading it into the worst crisis in its history. The company, led by Elon Musk, recently made its largest ever job cut, laying off 10 percent of its employees. Internal turmoil intensified with the departure of two key executives, a clear sign of the unprecedented challenges facing the company: falling demand, aggressive competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers, and labor tensions in Europe.
In the United States and Europe, demand for electric cars is declining, while China, with its aggressive policies, is increasingly becoming a dominant power in the industry, threatening Tesla’s position. Against this difficult backdrop, Tesla’s shares have fallen 35 percent over the past half year, causing concern among investors.
Angela (fictitious name), a former Tesla employee in Georgia, expresses her shock at the sudden layoffs, symbolic of the company’s difficult time. Internally, the layoffs were justified as a necessary step as a result of too rapid growth and duplication of roles. Meanwhile, Tesla’s lead in electric vehicle sales has been usurped by China’s BYD, which has surpassed the U.S. giant by 40,000 units.