The backlash against the electric vehicle company has intensified as the billionaire ally of President Trump exerts his power over the federal government.

This suggests that a reaction from consumers who dislike 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 doubtless held off purchases until the new car was available.

In California, the bumper stickers have become almost as common as the once bestselling Teslas on which they appear. “I bought this before Elon went crazy,” one reads in reference to Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO heading up President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency group.

Elon Musk, the company’s chief executive, is fast losing out to Chinese electric carmakers in Tesla’s second-most-important market.

Tesla's non-stop price cuts on new cars: Granted, this has been relatively static for the Model 3 and Y over the last year, but prior to that, a community-sourced Google Sheet tracked the varying price fluctuations.