Automaker Tesla has abandoned its electric vehicle charging business, firing its entire Supercharger division.

Tesla chief executive officer Elon Musk decided to cut Rebecca Tinucci, senior director of EV Charging, and most or all of the staff that operated and maintain the supercharger system according to multiple posts on LinkedIn.

The apparent winding down of the Supercharger business represents something of an about-face for the company after its decision to open up its charging network to non-Tesla EVs in 2023 was praised by US president Joe Biden.

Tesla has claimed to operate over 50,000 Superchargers globally, making it the largest fast-charging network for electric vehicles in the world.

Musk, who is increasingly facing pressure from investors after the disastrous launch and recall of the Cybertruck and his rapidly deteriorating public image, said that the network would still continue to operate and expand "just at a slower pace for new locations and more focus on 100% uptime and expansion of existing locations."

Tesla’s sales are down over the past 12 months, and last week the company reported its first quarterly revenue decline since 2021. The company’s shares have lost more than a quarter of their value since the turn of the year.

In an attempt to save face, Musk is attempting to pivot the company away from consumer vehicles and reposition itself as a robotics and artificial intelligence firm. Musk has teased a Tesla ‘robotaxi’ service which he said will be unveiled in August.

---