A former Tesla program manager asserts that he was dismissed for criticizing CEO Elon Musk. Matthew Labrot has launched a website urging Musk to resign amid plummeting sales figures.
Lovelot has been vocal about what he views as Musk’s detrimental focus, which he believes has worsened demand issues for the company.
Recently, Labrot took to LinkedIn to express his reflections on being let go from Tesla. “I was fired almost two weeks ago,” he mentioned, while promoting his website “Tesla Employees against Elon,” claiming that Musk pressured him to resign.
In April, Lovelot publicly outlined his concerns regarding Musk’s leadership, tying it to a significant drop in car sales. A former employee emphasized that the company is at a crossroads, needing to make crucial decisions.
“The damage to Elon’s personal brand is now irreversible, and as the public face of Tesla, this burden impacts us. We are left to either continue under his leadership or find our own path,” Lovelot stated.
He further asserted that Musk’s recent emphasis on Tesla has inadvertently contributed to the current challenges the company faces. “It’s not our products, engineering, or service teams that are at fault. The challenge is in demand, and that leads back to Elon,” he explained.
Lovelot underscored the urgency of acting now, noting, “The sustainable energy movement that Tesla has helped to mainstream will persist, but it may continue without us if changes aren’t made.”
Tesla in Chaos?
In April, Tesla experienced a 13% decline in car sales during the first quarter, attributed to low production tied to factory upgrades and public backlash related to Musk’s prior associations with the Trump administration. While EV sales in France increased by 59%, indicating a positive trend in that market, overall European sales fell by 37% during the same period, despite an overall 28% increase in EV sales.
Moreover, Tesla’s net profits for this quarter plummeted by a staggering 71%.
