Investors are preparing for evidence of declining global demand for Tesla this week, as the electric car manufacturer faces challenges including a consumer backlash against its CEO, Elon Musk. On April 2, Tesla will release data for the first-quarter deliveries, which is expected to show a decline from the same period last year. The figures follow global protests against Musk and Tesla, targeting its showrooms. Analysts have been lowering their forecasts due to the damage Musk’s role in the Trump administration has caused to the Tesla brand. Dan Ives, a Tesla “core bull” from Wedbush Securities, forecasts deliveries to be between 355,000 and 360,000, a 7% fall from last year’s first quarter. Other issues affecting Tesla’s sales in the first three months of the year include consumers waiting for updates to the popular Model Y. Ives also notes that Musk’s involvement with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) has hurt Tesla’s sales. The tariffs announced by Donald Trump last week, which include a 25% tariff on cars from overseas, threaten to plunge the auto industry into chaos, according to Ives. Meanwhile, Musk has stated that Tesla is “not unscathed” by the tariffs.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/mar/31/tesla-investors-brace-for-global-sales-data-amid-consumer-backlash-over-elon-musk