Musk Outlines Tesla’s Recession Playbook: Claw Back Costs

Musk Outlines Tesla’s Recession Playbook: Claw Back Costs
Tesla CEO Elon Musk leaves the Phillip Burton Federal Building in San Francisco on Jan. 24, 2023. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Elon Musk has a playbook for Tesla headed into what he believes will be a “serious” recession: cut costs on everything from parts to logistics, while keeping the pressure on competitors with discounted sticker prices.

In a conference call to discuss Tesla’s fourth-quarter results, Musk and other executives outlined plans to reshape the electric vehicle (EV) maker’s cost base after slashing prices up to 20 percent, a move some analysts see as the first shot in a price war.