A bunch of workers from electrical carmaker Tesla have written an open letter to firm CEO Elon Musk demanding he step down – with at the least one employee claiming he was fired in consequence.
The letter was posted on an internet site referred to as Tesla Workers Towards Elon, with the location’s homepage together with the sub-head ‘Tesla is able to transfer on’.
The letter, addressed to ‘Whom It Could Concern’, says “Tesla is at a pivotal second”.
“We at the moment are at a crossroads: proceed with Elon [Musk] as CEO and face additional decline as prospects abandon the model, or transfer ahead with out him and permit our merchandise and mission to succeed or fail on their very own.”
“Tesla is able to transfer ahead. And we’re prepared to maneuver ahead with out Elon as CEO.”
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Neither Mr Musk nor the carmaker have publicly responded to the letter, nonetheless an account created to share the letter on social media platform ‘X’ – which Mr Musk owns – has been closed however stays on different platforms.
The general public criticism comes following rumours Tesla board members had been canvassing for a substitute CEO amid claims of dissatisfaction and strategies Mr Musk had been distracted from the automobile maker.
Each Tesla and Mr Musk emphatically denied any plans he’d get replaced – or stepping down – as Tesla CEO.
Whereas Mr Musk can be the CEO of SpaceX – having handed over the CEO function of X to Linda Yaccarino in June 2023 – the first concern was across the influence of the Tesla chief’s outstanding place as a ‘particular authorities worker’ underneath US President Donald Trump.
Mr Musk’s function within the administration of President Trump – who was inaugurated on 20 January 2025 – coincided with Tesla struggling dramatic gross sales slides globally.
The model posted its first annual gross sales fall in its historical past in the course of the 2024 calendar 12 months, and whereas it was one per cent it got here in opposition to eight per cent gross sales development for EVs.
The annus horribilis led into even larger slumps in Europe, China, Australia and even within the US within the first three months of 2025 with Chinese language rival BYD surging forward within the international gross sales race.
The most important slumps for Tesla occurred in Europe, with consecutive month-to-month gross sales falls in Germany seeing it 45.9 per cent down year-on-year by the top of April, with Tesla’s UK gross sales down 62.0 per cent.
Tesla Australia gross sales had been down 76 per cent year-on-year in April 2025.
“This isn’t as a result of our automobiles obtained worse,” the open letter stated.
“Not due to affordability points. However as a result of individuals not need to affiliate with Elon. That’s it. That’s the reality.”
Mr Musk – who predicted a 20 to 30 per cent gross sales improve for 2025 – claimed he would give full consideration to Tesla along with his authorities function as a consequence of finish on Could 30, 2025 as legally required.
The workers behind the brand new website are sceptical of Mr Musk’s claims.
“Elon’s latest declare that he’s “refocusing” on Tesla will not be solely tone-deaf, it’s insulting,” the letter reads.
“It implies that the hardships of the previous six months stem from an absence of his consideration, not from his actions. It shifts the blame onto the very individuals who have held this firm collectively.
“Let’s be clear: we aren’t the issue. Our merchandise usually are not the issue. Our engineering, service, and supply groups usually are not the issue. The issue is demand. The issue is Elon.”
In response to Fortune, one of many authors of the letter – Matthew LaBrot – has misplaced his job in consequence.
“I consider in Tesla’s mission greater than I concern its CEO,” Mr LaBrot wrote on LinkedIn – as reported by Fortune – after claiming he misplaced his ‘dream job’ of six years for his criticism of the Tesla CEO.
Tesla Australia advised CarExpert it’s not focussed on Mr Musk, however is as a substitute decided to get prospects into the facelifted Mannequin Y SUV, an replace of the best-selling EV in each the world and Australia in 2024.
The carmaker can be planning to introduce extra reasonably priced variations of the Mannequin Y – scrapping plans for a stand-alone cut-price entry-level mannequin – in addition to rolling out its robotaxi fleet within the US.
But challenges stay, with the robotaxi program – set to be launched as a paid service taking prospects in Austin, Texas, in June – now being probed by the US security physique NHTSA (the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration).
NHTSA – a division Mr Musk had proposed to chop funding to in his authorities function – has requested Tesla to offer extra assurances on the efficiency of the Cybercab totally autonomous taxis in poor climate situations.
It could but see additional delays, impacting the rollout and Tesla’s ongoing efficiency.
