- Tesla recently sent an internal memo to Cybertruck employees.
- The memo describes reduced operating hours at the Austin Gigafactory.
- The new schedule comes as Tesla's quarterly sales declined year over year for the first time since 2020.
Tesla has told Cybertruck employees that their shifts on the Austin Gigafactory production line will be shortened, according to an internal message seen by Business Insider.
Previously, employees logged 12-hour shifts from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. They will now work 11-hour shifts during the day and 10.5 hours at night, from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 4:30 a.m., according to the memo.
The new schedule was communicated internally on Thursday and is expected to begin on Monday, according to the memo.
It's unclear whether Tesla is implementing the new schedule on other production lines or at other factories. Tesla builds the Cybertruck at the Austin Gigafactory, but it also builds the Model Y there and is also working on next-generation vehicles.
Some workers at other Tesla factories in Sparks, Nevada and Fremont, California told BI they were still scheduled to work 12-hour shifts. A factory worker at this electric car manufacturer typically works three to four days a week.
A Tesla spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Tesla is starting to feel the effects of slowing EV demand. Earlier this month, the company's first-quarter deliveries were significantly lower than Wall Street expectations. For the first time since 2020, the company's deliveries decreased on a quarterly basis compared to the same period last year.
On Saturday, some Tesla employees told BI they were concerned that large-scale layoffs could occur as early as this weekend.
It's unclear how many Cybertrucks Tesla has delivered so far. At Tesla's latest financial results conference in January, Elon Musk said the Cybertruck would be almost sold out in 2024.
“This is a production constraint situation, not a demand constraint situation,” Musk said at the time.
Tesla launched the Cybertruck in November. The company's Austin plant is responsible for producing the vehicles, and Musk said the sharp lines of the trucks require a high level of precision.
Ahead of the car's launch, Musk said Tesla had “digged a hole” with the Cybertruck and warned it would take years to ramp up production. Tesla aims to produce 250,000 Cybertrucks a year by 2025, Musk said.
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