I slept in my car and showered in the factory to work 12-hour shifts at Tesla. I still got laid off after 5 years.

• Nico Murillo, a former Tesla production supervisor, was laid off after five years at the company.
• Murillo lived in his car in the factory's parking lot for a year to save commuting time.
• Murillo said the layoffs came as a surprise, but he's trying to be optimistic. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Nico Murillo, a former production supervisor at Tesla's factory in Fremont, California. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I started at Tesla in 2019 as an entry-level production associate.

I worked my way up at the company for over five years, eventually becoming a production supervisor.