Tesla lays off about 200 autopilot workers, most of them hourly

Tesla is trimming its ranks after a surge in hiring in recent years. Picture: AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Tesla laid off hundreds of workers on its autopilot team as the electric-vehicle maker shuttered a California facility, according to people familiar with the matter.

Surprisingly, the majority of those who were let go were hourly workers, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private information. As recently as last week, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk had outlined plans to cut 10% of salaried staff but said he’d be increasing hourly jobs.