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Tesla Has a Problem — and It’s Not Just Elon Musk’s Politics

A Tesla Model Y electric vehicle at a showroom in Marseille, France.Source: Bloomberg
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Tesla Inc.’s sales started slowingBloomberg Terminal even before Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk really threw his weight around in US politics. Now that he’s playing a starring role in the Trump administration and has taken his electioneering global, Tesla is falling on even harder times.

The electric vehicle maker got off to an extremely slow start to 2025 as its polarizing CEO went to work dismantling US government agencies and attacked political figures across Europe. It hasn’t helped that Tesla paused production at all four of its assembly plants to begin making the redesigned Model Y, its most popular offering.