Tesla sales are in an unprecedented slide. Competitors are rapidly gaining ground. There’s a lot of bad news for Tesla lately – but it’s unclear if the politics of its polarizing CEO, Elon Musk, are to blame.

The U.S. electric car company’s sales are sliding across Europe, amid what many see as interference in local affairs by Tesla’s chief executive, Elon Musk.

Is Elon Musk's political profile and BFF status with President Trump hurting sales of Austin-based Tesla? Maybe — but it's complicated, analysts say. Why it matters: Tesla is by far the U.S. electric vehicle sales leader and long the world's top seller (though it has recently been trading the lead with China's BYD).

Democratic activists are planning a protest campaign this week against tech billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk outside offices of lawmakers and Tesla dealerships.