Summary
Tesla reported its worst quarterly results in four years, with Q1 income down 71% and EV sales falling 13%.
Elon Musk vowed to refocus on Tesla amid backlash over his political role in the Trump Administration’s DOGE program, but analysts doubt his return will fix worsening issues.
Tesla faces eroding market share, failed products like the Cybertruck, and a coming 145% tariff on imported Chinese battery cells set to hammer the company’s battery pack business, one of the only bright spots last quarter.
Musk’s pivot to robotaxis and humanoid robots lacks credibility, and critics say Tesla has no compelling new EVs to revive growth.
If he resigns, Tesla becomes just another car company. Car companies get a P/E ratio of 7 (if they’re well run). Tesla’s P/E ratio is above 160. Elon Musk’s “genius” leadership is how Tesla investors have convinced themselves that they’re not investing in a typical car company. If he goes, the stock tanks. But, then again, if he stays, the stock tanks because he’s clearly not a genius, and even if he was he’s an evil genius and people don’t want to buy cars associated with his brand.