Tesla cuts more than 3,000 jobs, cars are "too expensive"

The electric car manufacturer Tesla has announced that it will reduce its workforce by 7% after the year "the most difficult" in its history.

In an email to employees, posted on the company's website, founder Elon Musk said the company's growth has been strong.

But he added that company cars were still "too expensive for most people" and that the road was "very difficult".

The company currently employs more than 45,000 people, which means it will lay off more than 3,000.

Mr Musk said that the year 2018 had been Tesla 's "most successful", in which she had delivered almost as many cars as all previous years.

• The strange and wonderful life of Elon Musk

However, while increasing production of his mid-market model 3 car, he said his products were too expensive for most people and his profits were too low.

"We hope that this quarter will allow us, with great difficulty, effort and luck, to target a small profit," he wrote.

"However, starting in May, we will have to offer at least the mid-market model 3 variant in all markets because we need to reach more customers who can afford to pay for our vehicles.

"In addition, we must continue to move towards less expensive model variants 3."

He added that because of the difficulties faced by the firm, Tesla had no choice but to reduce the number of full-time employees and keep only "the workers". and the most critical temporary workers ".

He added that the company should make these cuts while "increasing the production rate of Model 3" and bringing many "technical improvements in manufacturing in the coming months".