Recently, reports emerged stating that General Motors’ self-driving unit, Cruise LLC, was dismissing nine top executives amid an ongoing probe. A memo from Cruise President Mo Elshenawy, which was shared by the self-driving unit online, shows that the nine executives were but the tip of the iceberg in the company’s efforts to strategize its operations.
Cruise has had a very eventful year. In August, Cruise received approval to deploy its self-driving robotaxis 24/7 in San Francisco. Following an incident when one of the company’s self-driving robotaxis crashed into a firetruck, however, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) advised Cruise to cut its fleet in the city by 50%.
Things took a turn for the worse in October when a pedestrian, a woman, was initially struck by a human-driven car. The impact was so notable that the woman was thrown into the path of a Cruise robotaxi, which ended up running over the pedestrian. The Cruise robotaxi detected a collision and proceeded to pull over, dragging the woman about 20 feet further. The pedestrian was taken to SF General Hospital with serious injuries.
By late October, the California DMV advised Cruise to halt all its operations in San Francisco. Since then, Cruise has implemented a number of changes. Leaders such as former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kyle Vogt and Chief Product Officer Daniel Kan also left the company.
In his memo, Cruise President Mo Elshenawy noted that the company has now updated its operating plans. These updates include a workforce reduction that affects about 24% of the company’s staff. Bloomberg News estimated that Cruise’s workforce reduction efforts would likely affect about 900 full-time workers. Most of the ones affected will be from operations, though some technology positions will also be affected. Engineers, however, will mostly be safe.
Following is Elshenawy’s memo to Cruise staff, as shared by the GM self-driving unit in its official blog. The document covers the company’s decision behind its workforce reduction, as well as what those affected by the update could expect in the coming months.
In October, Cruise paused operations to take time to examine our processes, systems and tools and improve how we operate. While we remain committed to commercialization, we will approach it within a thoughtful and achievable time frame—with safety as our north star.
As a result of our updated operating plans, today Cruise shared the difficult news that we are making staff reductions impacting 24% of full-time Cruisers. This reflects our new future and a more deliberate go-to-market path, meaning less immediate need for field, commercial operations and corporate staffing.
As we look forward, the road to successful commercialization is dependent on defining and meeting an exceptional performance and heightened safety bar. Cruise is committed to playing a key role in defining these standards with the input of our regulators, our communities and other AV industry leaders.
We are extremely grateful to the departing employees who have helped further our mission, and the remaining Cruisers who will carry that mission forward in our next chapter.
Below is a letter from Mo Elshenawy, President and CTO of Cruise, that went to all employees today:
Cruisers:
We knew this day was coming, but that does not make it any less difficult—especially for those whose jobs are affected.
Today, we are making staff reductions that will affect 24% of full-time Cruisers, through no fault of their own. We are simplifying and focusing our efforts to return with an exceptional service in one city to start with and focusing on the Bolt platform for this first step before we scale. As a result, we are reducing our employee counts in operations and other areas. These impacts are largely outside of engineering, although some Tech positions are impacted also. As you might have learned, yesterday, we took action to part ways with several SLT members.
Craig and I believe this is a necessary step, and our leadership team and the board are fully aligned with how our go-forward U.S. staffing needs will map to the priorities ahead of us, and set up Cruise for the long term. We have also ended additional assignments of contingent workers who support our driverless operations, as we refined our go forward plans.
In a few moments, you will receive an email letting you know whether or not you are affected by this staffing reduction. If you are impacted, you will get details about what happens next in a subsequent email.
Please know that our first priority is to treat departing Cruisers with fairness, and I will describe more about how we are doing that below.
I also want to explain why we are making these reductions, and what this means for Cruise moving forward.
Cruise today vs Cruise moving forward
As we’ve shared, our goal is to focus our work on a fully driverless L4 service that meets a new AV performance bar, prioritize the Bolt platform, relaunch ridehail in one city to start, and enhance our safety standards and processes before we scale. We are ceasing work on the Origin MY24 but not losing sight of our work on future programs. This is very different from our prior plans to expand into more than a dozen new cities in 2024.
As a result of our decision to slow down commercialization, we are restructuring to focus on delivering the improvements to our tech and vehicle performance that will build trust in our AVs.
Many of you will be impacted because we aren’t commercializing as quickly, and therefore don’t need support in certain cities or facilities. In other cases, we restructured teams based on the work we’re prioritizing. We didn’t take any of these decisions lightly, though I know that isn’t much of a consolation if you’re someone affected by the actions we are taking today.
How we’re helping departing employees
We know there’s no “good” way to lay off employees, but treating people fairly on their way out was a key principle that guided our approach, and our top priority was determining how we could provide a strong severance package, while treating departing Cruisers with respect. In short, we are offering departing Cruisers pay, at minimum, through April 8, 2024 (approximately 16 weeks), plus continued subsidized health benefits, RSU vesting, the January 5 bonus, and additional immigration support for those holding work visas.
Severance details include:
- Severance pay: Departing employees will remain on payroll through Feb. 12 and are eligible for an additional 8 weeks of pay, with long-term employees offered an additional 2 weeks’ pay per every year at Cruise over 3 years.
- Bonus: All impacted employees will receive their 2023 bonus (eligible target payout) on Jan. 5, 2024.
- Medical, Dental, Vision: we will provide Cruisers and their dependents who are currently enrolled in Cruise benefits the option to receive Cruise-subsidized medical, dental and mental health/EAP benefits through the end of May.
- Perks Wallet: We will give Cruisers two months to access the perks most important to them via our Perks Wallet.
- 401(k): We will give Cruisers two months to continue contributions into their 401(k) plan, including our employer match.
- RSU vesting: All Cruisers, including those impacted and those remaining, will receive their January 15th RSU vest. In addition, we will provide liquidity for all of these January 15th shares in Q1 based on an updated 409A fair market valuation that we will conduct in the first quarter. Tax obligations for these January 15th vested shares will not be incurred until we provide you liquidity for these shares.
- Career support: Departing employees will receive a year-long subscription to LinkedIn Premium, and we will create an opt-in alumni directory to connect potential employers with impacted Cruisers. Cruise Talent Acquisition will also run workshops on resume building, networking, and interview prep with departed Cruisers in the new year.
- Immigration support: We are offering continued time on payroll through March 24 in lieu of a lump-sum severance payment to allow visa holders additional time to help transition and manage their immigration status. Eligibility for the Perks Wallet and 401(k) contributions and match will also continue through this time. We also have dedicated support lined up to help Cruisers based on their needs.
Our message to other employers in the market is that each departing Cruiser is a talented, driven, and mission-focused team member who will contribute and achieve great things elsewhere. They are departing us through no fault of their own. Other companies will be privileged to have these professionals on their teams, as we were privileged to have them here during their time at Cruise.
What’s next
As mentioned, in a few moments, you will receive an email letting you know whether or not you are affected by this staffing reduction, and if you are impacted, you will get details about what happens next. I am so sorry we have to do this by email, as I would prefer that we have a conversation with each of you. Unfortunately, given the scale of this change, this approach allows us to communicate to those who are impacted at the same time. We know you will want to say goodbye to your colleagues, so you will have access to Cruise email and Zoom for the next couple of hours (until 10am PT).
This is one of the hardest days we’ve had so far because so many talented people are leaving. I’m thankful we had the chance to work together, and I know I speak on behalf of so many Cruisers who will be reaching out to those departing to help with our professional networks and references. On behalf of the SLT, the Cruise Board and GM, I’m truly grateful to everyone who has played a role in building Cruise and who has poured so much into the promise of making our roads safer and our world better.
Mo
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
Investor's Corner
LIVE BLOG: Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2025 earnings call updates
The following are live updates from Tesla’s Q2 2025 earnings call.
Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) earnings call comes on the heels of the company’s Q2 2025 update letter, which was released after the closing bell on July 23, 2025.
Tesla’s Q1 2025 Results:
Total Revenues: $22.5 billion
Total automotive revenues: $16.7 billion
Total GAAP gross margin: 17.2%
Gross Profit: $3.88 billion
EPS non-GAAP: $0.40 per share
The following are live updates from Tesla’s Q2 2025 earnings call. I will be updating this article in real time, so please keep refreshing the page to view the latest updates on this story.
16:22 CT – Good day to everyone, and welcome to another Tesla earnings call live blog. Tesla had a pretty big quarter, and while the company’s vehicle deliveries are still down year-over-year, the Robotaxi pilot has been launched in Austin.
Now to see if this earnings call starts on time. Interestingly enough, the EV maker has not posted a link to its Q2 2025 earnings call livestream on its official @Tesla X account yet.
16:26 CT – The earnings call’s livestream on YouTube, however, is up:
16:28 CT – I wonder which Elon we will get on today’s earnings call? Will be get super locked-in Elon, serious Elon, or lighthearted Elon? Whichever Elon we get, TSLA stock will probably show some reaction in after-hours trading.
16:30 CT – Travis Axelrod of Tesla’s Investor Relations team opens the call. He states that Tesla CEO Elon Musk and other executives are present. And, here’s Elon’s opening remarks.
16:33 CT – Elon opens with the launch of Tesla’s Robotaxi service in Austin, which has gotten “bigger and longer” over the past few weeks. He stated that the service area for Robotaxi services in Austin will get even bigger and longer soon. He mentions the Robotaxi service’s expansion to the Bay Area, Arizona, and Florida in the coming months.
“I think we’ll have Robotaxi in half the population of the US by the end of the year?” Musk said, highlighting that this is subject to regulatory approval. He added that Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi service cautiously.
16:35 CT – Elon noted that the Model Y became the best-selling car in several countries in n Türkiye, Netherlands, Switzerland and Austria in June. This was despite the Model Y selling in these countries without its killer feature–FSD. Despite the regulatory challenges, Elon noted that Tesla will get these approvals, and he is hoping that some areas in Europe should experience FSD in the coming months. “It really is the single biggest demand driver,” Musk said.
16:37 CT – Elon also mentioned the launch of the Tesla Diner. “This is a very special diner,” Musk said, stating that the facility is a “shining beacon of hope.” He joked that it is rare that a diner makes the news, but the newly launched restaurant is quite something.
On the other hand, Elon noted that Tesla is making significant improvements to its FSD software, and that the company could probably 10X the parameter count from what users are currently experiencing.
16:43 CT – The CEO also highlghted the growth of Tesla Energy, which he noted was a “really big deal.” As for Optimus, Musk stated that the humanoid robot is in its current second generation. Its third generation will be “exquisite,” the CEO noted.
“Tesla is by far the best in the world in real-world AI,” Musk said. He threw some shade at Waymo as well, stating that while Google is good at AI, the tech giant is not as good in real-world AI applications. All those years producing and designing cars matter.
“Tesla has the highest intelligence density in AI so far,” Musk said. “Intelligence density will be a very big deal in the future.”
16:46 CT – Musk stated that Tesla will probably see prototypes of Optimus Version 3 this year, and scale production next year. Tesla will be ramping these initiatives as fast as possible, considering the company’s aspirations to produce millions of Optimus robots per year. Musk believes that a rate of 1 million Optimus robots per year is feasible within five years.
“We’re not always on time, but we get it done,” Musk said, referencing the company’s tendency to make the impossible feel late. He also reiterated the idea that Tesla can be the omst valuable company in the world if it executes very well.
16:50 CT – Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja mentioned the company’s milestone of delivering a car autonomously to a customer for the first time in Q2. He also mentioned the effects of the Trump administration’s regulatory changes for electric vehicles.
He mentioned that Tesla is seeing more test drives, and the company did start the production of more affordable cars in the first half of the year, with volume production planned for the second half of the year.
16:55 CT – Investor questions begin with an inquiry about Tesla Robotaxis. Tesla noted that it expects to 10X its current operation in the coming months. The Bay Area is next, and Tesla is looking to expeedite the service’s approval.
As for technical and regulatory hurdles for Unsupervised FSD, Elon Musk stated that he believes the feature should be available in a number of cities by the end of the year. Tesla, however, is being extremely paranoid about safety, so Unsupervised FSD’s rollout will be very, very cautious. Also, Tesla vehicles from Fremont could deliver themselves to customers autonomously by the end of the year.
16:58 CT – A question about Optimus was asked. Elon noted that Optimus V3 is the right design for the humanoid robot, since it has all the degrees of freedom necessary to ensure that it can do tasks very well. He also set expectations on Optimus’ ramp.
“If we are not making 100,000 OPtimus robots per month in 60 months, I will be shocked,” Musk said.
Another question was asked about Tesla’s affordable model. Tesla noted that production did start in the first half of 2025, and a ramp is expected in the remaining months of the year. As for Tesla investing in xAI, the CFO noted that this earnings call is not the right venue to discuss such matters.
17:07 CT – Elon Musk admitted that he is creating another Master Plan. He reiterated the idea that the future of Tesla is exciting, and the company has the potential to change the world.
An investor question about HW3 vehicle was asked. Tesla noted that it is focused on rolling out Unsupervised FSD to HW4 cars first, then go back to see what can be done with HW3 cars.
As for how the Trump administration’s regulations could affect Megapack sales, Tesla noted that it still believes solar and battery projects should still see growth. “We’re forecasting a very strong second half of the year,” the company noted. Tesla is expected to launch its third Megafactory in Houston next year.
17:11 CT – Analyst questions begin. The analyst asks if Tesla could share KPIs on Tesla’s Robotaxi rollout. Tesla noted that it only has a handful of vehicles for now, but the company has more than 7,000 driverless miles in Austin so far. Elon also emphasized that the Robotaxi service is designed for maximum comfort and safety, and that the Cybercab is designed to be optimal when it comes to cost. “Cost per mile for the Cybercab will be little,” Musk said.
“Tesla Roboatxi fleet will go from tiny to gigantic in probably a very short period of time,” Musk added.
17:15 CT – Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley asked if Elon is comfortable with having just 13% control of Tesla. Elon Musk admitted that this is a major concern for him, and he is hoping that the topic could be discsused in the upcoming annual shareholder meeting.
Elon joked that he wants to have enough control in Tesla that he cannot be ousted by activist investors, but not tool large that he cannot be removed, just in case he goes crazy. He reiterated the idea that he would be joined by several Optimus robots onstage at the upcoming annual shareholder meeting.
17:21 CT – Barclays asks Elon about the idea of putting non-Tesla vehicles being put in the Robotaxi network. Elon admitted that Tesla has really not thought about it much, though the company is extremetly focused on safety.
Goldman Sachs asked if Tesla could comment on FSD subscription trends. Tesla noted that since FSD V12 was launched in North America, there has been a notable improvement in consumer adoption. When asked if more price adjustments for FSD should be expected, Elon noted that Tesla is in a transition period in the United States. He admitted that Tesla could have a few rough quarters, but once autonomy is at scale, he would be surprised if Tesla’s economics are not compelling.
17:29 CT – Truist asked about Tesla’s more affordable models and any updates on what it would look like. Elon Musk joked that it would just look like the Model Y. He also noted that people desire Teslas, but the cars are still not affordable enough.
When asked about xAI and Tesla, Elon Musk explained that the two companies are very different. He noted that there are also some people that like to work in xAI but not Tesla, and vice versa. Would they like to work on superintelligence, or real-world AI? Both are compelling endeavors.
17:30 CT – And that wraps up Tesla’s second quarter 2025 earnings call! Thank you so much for following along as we covered this event. Until the next time!
Investor's Corner
Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2025 earnings results
Tesla posted total revenues of $22.496 billion and non-GAAP EPS of $0.40 per share.
Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) has released its Q2 2025 earnings results in an update letter. The document was posted on the electric vehicle maker’s official Investor Relations website after markets closed today, July 23, 2025.
Tesla’s Q2 earnings come on the heels of a quarter where the company produced over 410,000 vehicles, delivered over 384,000 vehicles, and deployed 9.6 GWh of energy storage products. The second quarter also saw the launch of the Roboaxi service’s pilot program in Austin, a notable step forward for the company’s self-driving program.
Tesla’s Q2 2025 earnings in a nutshell
As could be seen in Tesla’s Q2 2025 update letter, the company posted GAAP EPS of $0.33 and non-GAAP EPS of $0.40 per share. Tesla also posted total revenues of $22.496 billion.
In comparison, Wall Street expected Tesla to post earnings per share of $0.39, down 25% from a year ago. Tesla’s revenue is forecasted to fall 13% to $22.19 billion, and analysts also expect the electric vehicle maker to post lower margins this quarter.
Tesla’s other Q2 metrics
For the second quarter, Tesla’s total revenue decreased 12% YoY to $22.5B. Operating income also decreased 42% YoY to $0.9B, resulting in a 4.1% operating margin. Tesla still has a strong war chest, as the company’s quarter-end cash, cash equivalents and investments was $36.8B.
Product Plans
Tesla noted in its Q2 2025 update letter that the company remains focused on “prudently growing our vehicle volumes in a capex efficient manner by using our existing vehicle production capacity before building new lines.” Still, Tesla noted that plans for new vehicles that will launch in 2025 remain on track, including initial production of a more affordable model in 1H25.
Tesla also reiterated that the Cybercab will be produced using the company’s upcoming “Unboxed” manufacturing process. Volume production of the Cybercab is expected to start sometime in 2026.
Below is Tesla’s Q2 2025 update letter:
TSLA-Q2-2025-Update by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
News
Elon Musk reveals big plans for Tesla Optimus at the Supercharger Diner
Will Optimus deliver my Tesla Club on roller skates? I’m hopeful.
Elon Musk revealed on X on Wednesday that Tesla Optimus will soon be getting a job at the Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles, and its role will be right on par with what we believed the humanoid bot would be perfect for.
While Optimus was spotted serving popcorn at the Diner on Monday as it opened for the first time, that’s its only job, at least for now. Musk said Optimus will be getting a promotion in 2026, and it will be a food runner, bringing your order straight to your car, eliminating the need to go inside yourself.
It will complete what Tesla hopes is a full-fledged 50s diner experience, curated by the imagination of the future. In the 1950s, drive-in diners were a common hangout to grab a bite and watch a movie. Tesla opened its Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles earlier this week, but it has a futuristic twist to it.
You can order food directly from your car, sync your center touchscreen and speakers to the two massive projection screens that Tesla is playing movie scenes on at the Diner, and even go inside for a true break from your car.
Next year, Tesla will take it a step further, Musk confirmed:
Optimus will bring the food to your car next year pic.twitter.com/opPGjOe7t1
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 23, 2025
The Diner features 80 Superchargers that can be used by both Tesla and non-Tesla EVs, provided that the manufacturer of the electric car has access to the company’s robust network. It is also available to non-EV owners, as they can park their cars and stop in for a quick bite to eat.
Tesla’s full menu at the Diner is available here, and its focus for the restaurant was to provide healthier options by sourcing most of its food from local, organic, and humane farms:
We put a lot of effort into using truly organic ingredients from farms that we have visited
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2025
Optimus’s capabilities seem to be progressing to a point where Tesla feels confident that the humanoid robot can handle carrying food and delivering it to customers at their cars. Whether it will be put on roller skates is another question, but we’re hopeful Optimus can do it when it gets its promotion next year.
LIVE BLOG: Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2025 earnings call updates
Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2025 earnings results
Elon Musk reveals big plans for Tesla Optimus at the Supercharger Diner
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