This photo taken on April 2, 2024 shows a Tesla car at a parking lot in San Bruno, California, the United States. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tesla is laying off "more than 10 percent" of its global headcount to cut costs and boost productivity, according to an internal email sent to staff by CEO Elon Musk, Electrek and Bloomberg News reported on Monday.

"As we prepare the company for our next phase of growth, it is extremely important to look at every aspect of the company for cost reductions and increasing productivity," Musk said in the email, adding that Tesla's growth has led to "duplication of roles and job functions in certain areas."

"As part of this effort, we have done a thorough review of the organization and made the difficult decision to reduce our headcount by more than 10 percent globally. There is nothing I hate more, but it must be done. This will enable us to be lean, innovative and hungry for the next growth phase cycle," Musk noted.

The layoffs that could impact more than 14,000 people come two weeks after the electric automaker reported its first year-over-year drop in sales in three years. The company has also warned that sales growth could be "notably lower" in 2024 than its stated goal of 50 percent growth each year.