Tesla faces challenges after protests over Elon Musk controversy | BBC News

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has faced backlash since he was appointed head of the controversial Department for Government Efficiency and charged with taking an axe to federal government spending.

Musk has also intervened in politics abroad, making a video appearance at a rally for the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland ahead of Germany's parliamentary election, and launching online attacks on British politicians.

Some who do not share his views, have protested outside dozens of Tesla dealerships, not only in the US, but also in Canada, the UK, Germany and Portugal.

What is hard to quantify is exactly how much impact all this has had on Tesla as a business - and the extent to which Musk's views and involvement in the Trump administration has affected the brand and alienated some traditional electric vehicle buyers.