Signs of turmoil at Tesla multiplied on Monday after the electric car company told employees it would lay off more than 10 percent of the work force to cut costs and two senior executives resigned.
The job cuts, amounting to about 14,000 people, come as the company faces increasing competition and declining sales. The management changes and layoffs are a reminder of the unpredictability of Elon Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, at a critical time for the company.
Mr. Musk has not outlined a plan to reverse a decline in car sales, and he appears focused on long-shot ventures such as a self-driving taxi, rather than new models that would help Tesla compete with cars being introduced by established carmakers and new rivals from China.
“As we prepare the company for the next phase of growth, it is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity,” Mr. Musk told employees in a Monday morning email, a copy of which was reviewed by The New York Times.
“There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done,” he wrote.
Hours after that email, Drew Baglino, a senior vice president who has played a big role in the company’s rise from start-up to dominant electric car maker, said he had resigned.
“I made the difficult decision to move on from Tesla after 18 years yesterday,” Mr. Baglino said in a post on X, the social media site. Mr. Baglino is one of only three managers besides Mr. Musk listed as a top executive on the company’s website. His longevity was unusual at a company known for high management turnover.