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Tesla’s detailed absenteeism reports to Elon Musk are adding to a drop in morale: report

U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks with Lt. Gen. Richard Clark, Superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, during the Ira C. Eaker Distinguished Speaker Presentation in the Academy's Arnold Hall on April 7, 2022 in Colorado Springs, Colo. (U.S. Air Force photo by Trevor cokley)

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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. 

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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. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk confirms Tesla AI6 chip is Project Dojo’s successor

Tesla’s AI5 and AI6 chips are expected to be rolled out to the company’s consumer products.

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tesla-supercomputer-pre-dojo
Credit: Tim Zaman/Twitter

Earlier this week, reports emerged stating that Tesla has stepped back from its Project Dojo initiative. While the reports were initially framed as a negative development for the electric vehicle maker’s autonomous driving efforts, CEO Elon Musk later noted on X that Tesla was indeed halting its Dojo initiative.

Elon Musk’s Confirmation

As per Musk, Tesla was shuttering Project Dojo because it does not make sense for the company to divide its resources and scale two different AI chip designs. Dojo, after all, is designed to train the company’s autonomous driving program, and thus, it would not be rolled out to Tesla’s consumer products.

In a series of posts on X, Musk stated that it would make sense to just use Tesla’s AI5/AI6 to train its FSD and Autopilot systems. “In a supercomputer cluster, it would make sense to put many AI5/AI6 chips on a board, whether for inference or training, simply to reduce network cabling complexity & cost by a few orders of magnitude,” Musk said.

Tesla’s AI5 and AI6 chips are expected to be rolled out to the company’s consumer products, from Optimus to the Cybercab to the next-generation Roadster.

AI6 is Dojo’s Successor

What was particularly interesting about Musk’s comment was his mention of using AI5/AI6 chips for training. As per Musk, this strategy could be seen as “Dojo 3” in a way, since the performance of Tesla’s AI5 and AI6 chips is already notable. Musk’s comment about using AI6 chips for training caught the eye of many, including Apple and Rivian alumnus Phil Beisel, who noted that “AI6 is now Dojo.”

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“Dojo is Tesla’s AI training supercomputer, built around a custom chip known as the D1. The D1 and AI5/AI6 share many core design elements, particularly the math operations used in neural networks (e.g., matrix multiplication) and highly parallel processing.

“Dojo had a unique feature: chips arranged in a 5×5 grid using a system-on-wafer design, with etched interconnects enabling high-speed data transfer. In a sense, Dojo will live on as the generalized AI6. Going forward, all efforts will focus on AI6,” the tech veteran wrote in a post on X.

Elon Musk confirmed the Apple alumnus’ musings, with the CEO responding with a “bullseye” emoji. Musk is evidently excited for Tesla’s AI6 chip, which is expected to produced by Samsung’s upcoming Texas fabrication facility. In a post on X, Musk stated that he would personally be walking Samsung’s line to accelerate the output of Tesla’s AI6 computers.

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Cybertruck

Tesla’s new upgrade makes the Cybertruck extra-terrestrial

The upgrade was announced by the electric vehicle maker on social media platform X.

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Credit: Tesla

It took a while, but the Tesla Cybertruck’s rock sliders and battery armor upgrades have finally arrived. The upgrade was announced by the electric vehicle maker on social media platform X, to much appreciation from Cybertruck owners.

Tesla Releases Cybertruck Armor Package

As could be seen in Tesla’s official Shop, the Cybertruck Terrestrial Armor Package is available only for Foundation Series units for now, though non-Foundation Series vehicles should have access to the upgrade around September 2025. Price-wise, the armor package is quite reasonable at $3,500.

For that price, Cybertruck owners would be able to acquire enhanced rock sliders and an underbody battery shield that should allow the all-electric pickup truck to go through harsh terrain without any issues. Each purchase of the Terrestrial Armor Package includes 1 Underbody shield, 1 Left side structural rocker, and 1 Right side structural rocker.

Most importantly, the Armor Package’s price includes shipment to the customer’s preferred Tesla Service Center and installation.

Extra-Terrestrial

Tesla describes its Cybertruck Armor Package as follows: “Get extra-terrestrial. The Cybertruck Terrestrial Armor Package includes enhanced rock sliders and an underbody battery shield to provide greater protection from rocks and debris when off-roading on tough terrain. The rock sliders are constructed from coated steel and the underbody battery shield is constructed from aluminum for greater protection against scraping.”

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Initial impressions from a Cybertruck owner who was fortunate enough to test the Armor Package in real-world off-road conditions have been positive. The item’s pricing also seems to be quite appreciated by Cybertruck owners in forums such as the Cybertruck Owners Club, with some members stating that they would be acquiring the package for their own all-electric pickup trucks.

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Tesla Model Y L reportedly entered mass production in Giga Shanghai

The vehicle is expected to be a larger version of the best-selling Model Y crossover.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Reports from industry watchers in China have suggested that the Tesla Model Y L has started mass production at Gigafactory Shanghai. The vehicle is expected to be a larger version of the best-selling Model Y crossover, offering three rows and six seats thanks to a longer wheelbase.

Tesla Model Y L Production Rumors

Reports about the new Model Y variant’s alleged milestone were initially shared on Weibo, with some industry watchers stating that the vehicle has already started mass production. Tesla China is reportedly surveying which of its domestic stores would have the first display units of the six-seat Model Y. 

The Model Y L’s steady march towards production was evident this past week, with recent reports indicating that the vehicle’s key specs have already been listed in the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) latest batch of new energy vehicle models that are eligible for vehicle purchase tax exemptions.

As per the MIIT’s list, the Model Y L will be a dual motor vehicle that is equipped with an 82.0-kWh lithium-ion battery from LG Energy Solution. The vehicle will feature six seats with two captain seats on the second row, as well as a CLTC range of 751 km. 

Tesla Model Y L Potential

The potential of the Model Y L is vast, considering that it is produced in the existing Model Y lines of Tesla’s factories. This should slash new vehicle tooling costs and potential ramp-up issues. Three-row SUVs also command a pretty notable market that has mostly only been accessed by the more expensive Model X. With the Model Y L’s lower price, Tesla could become more competitive in the three-row SUV segment.

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As noted by longtime Tesla owner and investor @_SFTahoe, the Model Y L could also become a more premium option for the company’s Robotaxi business, thanks to its second row captain seats and spacious interior. The expansion of Model Y L Robotaxis should also be impressive considering Tesla’s mastery of mass manufacturing techniques. 

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