One of Elon Musk's biggest fans calls Tesla's sales 'brutal' and the worst he's ever seen

Core Viewpoint - Tesla's quarterly sales results were significantly below expectations, leading to widespread concern among analysts and fans about the company's future growth prospects [1][3][5]. Sales Performance - Tesla reported deliveries of just under 336,700 electric vehicles (EVs) for the first quarter, falling short of analysts' expectations of approximately 390,300 deliveries, marking a 13% year-over-year decrease and the worst quarterly deliveries since 2022 [3]. Production Issues - The decline in deliveries was attributed to production losses of the Model Y, with some analysts suggesting that brand damage and negative sentiment towards Elon Musk may have also played a role [4][5]. Brand Perception - Some analysts, like Dan Ives, indicated that Tesla is facing a "brand crisis," exacerbated by Musk's actions and public perception, while others, like Omar Qazi, argued that production issues were the primary cause of the sales decline [5][6]. Market Reaction - Following the disappointing sales results, Tesla shares initially dipped about 4% but later rebounded over 5% after reports suggested that Musk might be stepping back from his role with DOGE [7]. Future Outlook - Analysts expressed concerns about Tesla's ability to return to growth, emphasizing that if the company cannot increase sales in 2025 with its best product lineup, it would represent a significant marketing failure [6].