A billionaire venture capitalist who has known Elon Musk for decades says there’s one crucial thing that Americans should understand about how the adviser to President Donald Trump operates. Musk doesn’t value the opinions of other people,

This suggests that the reaction of consumers to Mr Musk’s antics are only one reason for falling sales. An updated Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, has just gone on sale. In preparation Tesla ran down inventory of the old model, crimping supply. Customers have doubtless held off purchases until the new car is available.

The federal cost cutting measures undertaken by Musk have spurred "Tesla Takedown" protests with dealerships being vandalized across the nation.