Several hours after word spread that Elon Musk had fired the entire Supercharger crew at Tesla, a smaller electric vehicle charging firm began contacting the former employees.
Finding new staff was an immediate priority for EnviroSpark. This Atlanta-based company has constructed thousands of charging stations for clients like Tesla and others, in addition to its own smaller network. The chief executive officer, Aaron Luque, announced just the day before that the firm had raised $50 million, the biggest fundraising effort in its history. We had this grand plan for rapid expansion that included adding a lot of new employees. Just considering it was nerve-wracking.
At the same time as Tesla was laying off workers, EnviroSpark was able to recruit top talent in the field.
Friends at Tesla with whom Luque had worked closely were contacted by email and phone. “Hey, I’m making out some stuff; are you all right?” According to him, it continually deteriorated. It felt as if all the people I had ever collaborated with or seen advance in their careers at Tesla had vanished. Electric vehicle charging was the air they breathed. Their original intention was to remain employed by Tesla until they retired. And just like that, they found themselves uprooted.
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From Tesla Fan to Top Installer: EnviroSpark’s Electric Rise
Luque has long been a Tesla fan. He co-founded his organization 10 years ago after self-educating in electric vehicle charging station installation and working at Tesla dealership clients’ homes. He founded a semiconductor recycling company. As Tesla’s Supercharger network expanded, Luque became its largest installation partner, helping to install some of the initial stations. Tesla has 26 EnviroSpark projects. Luque hopes Tesla succeeds. However, he acted quickly.
Stephanie Luque, who is both his cofounder and his wife, urged all former Tesla employees to apply through a LinkedIn post, and so many did. Luque reports that the number of applications received through that post has reached 150.
So far, the startup has hired about twelve people who were previously employed by Tesla. Members of the development team who look for potential locations for electric vehicle charging stations are part of this group. People who are more interested in construction, design, or government contracting have also joined the deployment team.
The company’s own charging network will expand in tandem with its partnerships with companies like Tesla. Instead of constructing fast chargers like Tesla, EnviroSpark is concentrating on constructing slower “Level 2” chargers in underserved areas like apartment parking garages. This could be the deciding factor for renters when it comes to purchasing an electric car. To accommodate the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road, millions of additional charges are required.
The company’s work usually involves extensive training, although those who have worked for Tesla before can jump right in. Luque claims that the individuals in question already possess the necessary experience and relationships to accomplish all of the tasks at hand.
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Musk’s Musical Chairs: Firing and Rehiring Leaves Tesla Workers Wary
Following his decision to fire almost everyone from the Supercharger team, Musk attempted to rehire a few individuals. This is nothing new for him; he previously changed his mind after announcing that Tesla would be closing most stores without informing the sales crew. Additionally, he requested the return of a few staff following Twitter’s big layoffs. Some Supercharger staff could be hesitant to come back, which is understandable. (None of the former Tesla workers who have taken jobs with EnviroSpark wanted to be interviewed.)
Luque intends to maintain its recruiting pace, and the exceptional circumstances may compel EnviroSpark to speed up its expansion. He implies that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to finish some things that need to be done. So, we’re thinking about moving forward with some of the positions we were going to fill next year or the year after that. We would hate to miss out on well-screened, well-established candidates who are a perfect cultural match and have the requisite expertise and experience for such positions.
