Tesla

In September 2025, a Miami jury delivered a groundbreaking verdict finding Tesla's Autopilot system defective, awarding $329 million in damages over a fatal Florida Keys crash that killed a 22-year-old pedestrian. This followed a $243M August verdict. California DMV ruled Tesla's 'Autopilot' and 'Full Self-Driving' marketing was deceptive, threatening 30-day license suspension. NHTSA investigating 2.4M vehicles over 700+ crashes.

Tesla's global Supercharger network has been powered by 100% renewable energy since 2021, achieved through a combination of on-site solar resources and annual renewable energy matching. In 2024, the network maintained 99.95% uptime while running entirely on renewable power. This infrastructure commitment helps ensure Tesla EV charging doesn't rely on fossil fuel electricity.

According to Tesla's 2024 Impact Report, Tesla customers avoided releasing nearly 32 million metric tons of CO2e into the atmosphere through driving Tesla EVs and using Tesla energy storage and solar products. A Tesla vehicle is expected to avoid approximately 51 metric tons of CO2e over its 17-year lifetime compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. Note: A 2025 Greenly study estimated actual avoided emissions may be 28-49% lower than Tesla's claims.

Tesla's 2024 sustainability report showed the company achieved 82% renewable energy usage across all global manufacturing sites. Scope 1 emissions were reduced by 35% since 2020, and Scope 2 emissions dropped by 41%. This demonstrates significant progress in decarbonizing Tesla's manufacturing operations beyond just the vehicles themselves.

Tesla's battery recycling facilities now recover up to 92% of battery materials including lithium, cobalt, nickel, and aluminum, feeding them directly back into new battery cell production. The recycling program has cut projected new mining needs for lithium by 28% for vehicles produced after 2024, reducing the environmental impact of raw material extraction for EV batteries.

In November 2024, OSHA penalized Tesla nearly $7,000 after discovering that four employees at the Austin Gigafactory had been exposed to hexavalent chromium, an extremely hazardous carcinogen, without appropriate training or safety precautions. Workers in the Cybertruck body area were exposed to significant health hazards because they lacked the necessary training to handle hazardous materials.

In October 2024, NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation of 2.4 million Tesla vehicles (2016-2024 model years) over the safety of Full Self-Driving technology. The probe was triggered by four FSD-engaged collisions in low-visibility conditions (glare, fog, dust), including a November 2023 fatality in Rimrock, Arizona where a 71-year-old pedestrian was killed by a FSD-equipped Model Y. NHTSA also expressed concern in November 2024 that Tesla was endorsing distracted driving with FSD in its social media messaging.

In August 2024, electrician Victor Joe Gomez Sr. was electrocuted at Tesla's Austin gigafactory. OSHA issued three 'serious' violations at maximum level, fining Tesla ~$50,000. Separately, Tesla was fined $7,000 for exposing workers to hexavalent chromium without training. The Austin plant had the 8th most injuries of any US workplace in 2023 (~1 injury per 13 workers).

Tesla's Fremont factory has received over 112 Notices of Violation since 2019 for emitting harmful compounds without proper abatement - more than almost any other facility in California except one Chevron refinery. Penalties include $275,000 EPA fine (Feb 2022) for Clean Air Act violations and $750,000 (2021) for 33 air quality violations. In February 2024, eight Bay Area counties plus 17 other California counties sued Tesla for illegal hazardous waste dumping. Environmental Democracy Project filed suit in 2024 alleging 160+ Clean Air Act violations.

In April 2024, federal authorities announced that a critical safety gap in Tesla's Autopilot system contributed to at least 467 collisions, 13 of which resulted in fatalities and many others in serious injuries. The findings came from NHTSA's investigation into the Autopilot driver monitoring system, which found that Tesla's approach to ensuring driver attention was fundamentally inadequate.

Tesla downsized from 140,000 to 121,000 employees in 2024, cutting at least 14% of workforce and potentially up to 20%. Layoffs hit high performers according to sources. In May 2024, Tesla laid off hundreds from the Supercharger team. California lost 3,332 jobs and Texas lost 2,688 jobs at gigafactory. Some departments saw 20% cuts despite 10% target.

NLRB regional director found Tesla 'promulgated and maintained' workplace technology policies in 2023 meant to discourage employees from forming or joining a union. Tesla faces the longest strike in Sweden since 1938 (ongoing since Oct 2023) over refusal to sign collective bargaining agreements. The NLRB had 24 open investigations into Musk's companies as of January 2025.

Tesla omitted all language regarding minority workers and outreach to minority communities in its January 2024 10-K SEC filing. Removed references to HBCUs, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and employee resource groups including 'LGBTQ at Tesla' and 'Asian Pacific Islanders at Tesla.' This followed CEO Elon Musk's public statement that 'DEI must DIE.'

In December 2023, Tesla informed workers at its battery factory in Sparks, Nevada, that some hourly workers would see pay increases of approximately 10% starting in January 2024, bumping hourly pay from $20-$30.65 to $22-$34.50 per hour. The wage increases came amid growing UAW union activity in the auto industry following successful strikes at legacy automakers. Analysts noted the raises appeared designed to stave off workers' interest in forming a union.

In December 2023, Tesla issued its largest-ever recall covering 2.03 million US vehicles (nearly all Teslas on US roads) after NHTSA found 467 crashes involving Autopilot resulting in 54 injuries and 14 deaths. NHTSA determined that Autopilot's driver attention monitoring was insufficient and warnings were inadequate. The OTA software update added larger warning text, single-tap activation, and a five-strike system disabling Autopilot for repeat offenders. Consumer Reports later found the recall fix 'addresses minor inconveniences rather than fixing the real problems.'

Despite marketing itself as a climate-focused company, Tesla received F grades from CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) for its climate change disclosures, while competitors like Ford received A grades since 2019. Tesla has fallen behind other automakers in sharing greenhouse gas emissions data and environmental reporting transparency. CEO Elon Musk dismissed the ESG framework as a scam, saying it 'has been weaponized by phony social justice warriors.'

In October 2023, mechanics who are members of the Swedish trade union IF Metall began striking against Tesla, making it the longest strike in Sweden since 1938. The strike was triggered by Tesla's refusal to sign a collective bargaining agreement, standard practice in Sweden's labor market. Multiple other Swedish unions joined in solidarity actions, blocking Tesla deliveries and services. Tesla is the only major automaker operating in Sweden without a collective agreement.

The EEOC charged that since 2015, Black employees at Tesla's Fremont factory endured racial abuse, including N-word variations, 'monkey,' and 'boy.' Employees encountered swastikas, threats, and nooses on desks, bathroom stalls, elevators, and even new vehicles on the production line. Case heading to mediation in early 2026.

In February 2023, Tesla recalled 362,000 vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving Beta following an NHTSA safety investigation. The agency concluded the FSD system did not adequately adhere to traffic safety laws, including running stop signs, traveling through intersections during yellow lights, and not adequately responding to speed limit changes. Tesla issued an OTA software update to address the issues.

In February 2023, more than 30 employees at Tesla's Buffalo Gigafactory were fired one day after workers publicly announced their intent to unionize with Workers United. Workers alleged the firings were in retaliation for union activity. The NLRB later dismissed the retaliatory firing charge but found merit in charges regarding workplace surveillance and captive audience meetings. In April 2024, the NLRB filed a complaint alleging Tesla unlawfully implemented policies to prevent unionizing at the Buffalo plant.