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.

Elon Musk's X was inaccessible on Monday morning for thousands of users, including many in the U.S. After about eight hours of outages, Musk posted that