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Tesla’s detailed absenteeism reports to Elon Musk are adding to a drop in morale: report
In late May, Elon Musk sent a message to Tesla employees stating that the company would implement a return-to-office policy. According to Musk, Tesla employees are expected to spend a minimum of 40 hours in the office per week. The office must also be where an employee’s colleagues are located, “not in some remote pseudo office,” the CEO stated.
Musk noted that if employees don’t show up to the office, Tesla would assume that they have resigned. In a follow-up email, the CEO clarified that his expectations for in-office attendance are higher for more senior employees. “The more senior you are, the more visible must be your presence. That is why I lived in the factory so much — so that those on the line could see me working alongside them,” he wrote.
Tesla has been following these rules for several months now, but it reportedly has not been easy. Apart from crowded spaces and a reported lack of office equipment, Tesla’s strict attendance policies are reportedly also adding to an overall hit in employee morale. Citing information reportedly from anonymous Tesla employees, CNBC noted that the decline in employee morale was especially notable among teams that were previously allowed to work remotely before the pandemic.
Elon Musk is reportedly involved in tracking the attendance of Tesla employees, with the CEO receiving detailed weekly reports on absenteeism. Absences in Tesla are measured through data from workers’ badges, with unplanned absences being divided by planned time off to tabulate daily totals, according to CNBC.
Not all employees are tracked the same way, as those that report directly to Musk are reportedly not tracked through badge swipe data. As per internal messages reportedly viewed by the media outlet, however, Tesla’s strict attendance policy and absenteeism reports to Elon Musk have caused a notable decline in morale among some workers.
Internal records from Tesla reveal that around 1/8 of employees at the Fremont Factory are absent on a typical day. This number is a bit better if one were to look at the company’s entire roster, with about 1/10 of workers being absent on a typical workday.
It should be noted that when the Fremont Factory was still a GM plant before its NUMMI days, absenteeism was so prominent that one out of five workers didn’t show up for work on a regular workday. Absences were so bad that there were days when GM could not even start the Fremont Factory’s manufacturing line. Fortunately, things improved when the facility became NUMMI.
Prior to the implementation of Covid-19 restrictions, Tesla managers reportedly figured out how much remote work was possible for their respective teams. Musk’s return-to-office policy all but eliminated this option, though deals for “exceptional” employees are still possible. Ultimately, Tesla’s policy reportedly resulted in a number of well-liked employees leaving the company due to their preference for a more flexible working arrangement. Some have also moved closer to Tesla’s offices, resulting in them being hours away from family.
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Elon Musk
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets.
Starlink wrapped up 2025 with impressive growth, adding more than 4.6 million new active customers and expanding service to 35 additional countries, territories, and markets. The company also completed deployment of its first-generation Direct to Cell constellation, launching over 650 satellites in just 18 months to enable cellular connectivity.
SpaceX highlighted Starlink’s impressive 2025 progress in an extensive report.
Key achievements from Starlink’s 2025 Progress
Starlink connected over 4.6 million new customers with high-speed internet while bringing service to 35 more regions worldwide in 2025. Starlink is now connecting 9.2 million people worldwide. The service achieved this just weeks after hitting its 8 million customer milestone.
Starlink is now available in 155 markets, including areas that are unreachable by traditional ISPs. As per SpaceX, Starlink has also provided over 21 million airline passengers and 20 million cruise passengers with reliable high-speed internet connectivity during their travels.
Starlink Direct to Cell
Starlink’s Direct to Cell constellation, more than 650 satellites strong, has already connected over 12 million people at least once, marking a breakthrough in global mobile coverage.
Starlink Direct to Cell is currently rolled out to 22 countries and 6 continents, with over 6 million monthly customers. Starlink Direct to Cell also has 27 MNO partners to date.
“This year, SpaceX completed deployment of the first generation of the Starlink Direct to Cell constellation, with more than 650 satellites launched to low-Earth orbit in just 18 months. Starlink Direct to Cell has connected more than 12 million people, and counting, at least once, providing life-saving connectivity when people need it most,” SpaceX wrote.
News
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
Tesla’s Giga Nevada has reached an impressive milestone, producing its 6 millionth drive unit as 2925 came to a close.
To celebrate the milestone, the Giga Nevada team gathered for a celebratory group photo.
6 million drive units
The achievement was shared by the official Tesla Manufacturing account on social media platform X. “Congratulations to the Giga Nevada team for producing their 6 millionth Drive Unit!” Tesla wrote.
The photo showed numerous factory workers assembled on the production floor, proudly holding golden balloons that spelled out “6000000″ in front of drive unit assembly stations. Elon Musk gave credit to the Giga Nevada team, writing, “Congrats on 6M drive units!” in a post on X.
Giga Nevada’s essential role
Giga Nevada produces drive units, battery packs, and energy products. The facility has been a cornerstone of Tesla’s scaling since opening, and it was the crucial facility that ultimately enabled Tesla to ramp the Model 3 and Model Y. Even today, it serves as Tesla’s core hub for battery and drivetrain components for vehicles that are produced in the United States.
Giga Nevada is expected to support Tesla’s ambitious 2026 targets, including the launch of vehicles like the Tesla Semi and the Cybercab. Tesla will have a very busy 2026, and based on Giga Nevada’s activities so far, it appears that the facility will be equally busy as well.
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Tesla Supercharger network delivers record 6.7 TWh in 2025
The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets.
Tesla’s Supercharger Network had its biggest year ever in 2025, delivering a record 6.7 TWh of electricity to vehicles worldwide.
To celebrate its busy year, the official @TeslaCharging account shared an infographic showing the Supercharger Network’s growth from near-zero in 2012 to this year’s impressive milestone.
Record 6.7 TWh delivered in 2025
The bar chart shows steady Supercharger energy delivery increases since 2012. Based on the graphic, the Supercharger Network started small in the mid-2010s and accelerated sharply after 2019, when the Model 3 was going mainstream.
Each year from 2020 onward showed significantly more energy delivery, with 2025’s four quarters combining for the highest total yet at 6.7 TWh.
This energy powered millions of charging sessions across Tesla’s growing fleet of vehicles worldwide. The network now exceeds 75,000 stalls globally, and it supports even non-Tesla vehicles across several key markets. This makes the Supercharger Network loved not just by Tesla owners but EV drivers as a whole.
Resilience after Supercharger team changes
2025’s record energy delivery comes despite earlier 2024 layoffs on the Supercharger team, which sparked concerns about the system’s expansion pace. Max de Zegher, Tesla Director of Charging North America, also highlighted that “Outside China, Superchargers delivered more energy than all other fast chargers combined.”
Longtime Tesla owner and FSD tester Whole Mars Catalog noted the achievement as proof of continued momentum post-layoffs. At the time of the Supercharger team’s layoffs in 2024, numerous critics were claiming that Elon Musk was halting the network’s expansion altogether, and that the team only remained because the adults in the room convinced the juvenile CEO to relent.
Such a scenario, at least based on the graphic posted by the Tesla Charging team on X, seems highly implausible.
Starlink achieves major milestones in 2025 progress report
Tesla Giga Nevada celebrates production of 6 millionth drive unit
