Tesla reports first-quarter financial results after the bell Tuesday with the electric vehicle maker coping with sluggish sales and fallout from its CEO鈥檚 prominent role in the Trump administration.
Wall Street expects Tesla to report a profit of 41 cents per share, down slightly from the year-ago quarter. Sales are estimated at $21.3 billion, on par with last year鈥檚 quarter.
Tesla is fighting an enormous public backlash due to Elon Musk鈥檚 leadership of a that has divided the country and sparked angry protests at Tesla dealerships nationwide. Some analysts have called for Musk to abandon his role in the Trump administration to focus on Tesla.
Shares of Tesla Inc. have tumbled more than 40% this year.
Tesla investors will be listening closely for updates on several strategic initiatives. The company is expected to roll out a cheaper version of its best-selling vehicle, the Model Y SUV later in the year. Tesla has also said it plans to start a paid in Austin, Texas, in June.
The company that once dominated EVs is also facing fierce competition for the first time.
Earlier this year, Chinese EV maker BYD announced it had developed an . And Tesla鈥檚 European rivals have begun offering new models with advanced technology that is making them real alternatives, just as popular opinion in Europe has turned against Musk.
Investors expect Tesla will be hurt less by the Trump administration's tariffs than most U.S. car companies because it makes most of its U.S. cars domestically. But Tesla won鈥檛 be completely unscathed. It sources some materials from abroad that will now face import taxes.
Retaliation from China will also hurt Tesla. The company was forced earlier this month to stop taking orders from mainland customers for two models, its Model S and Model X. It makes the Model Y and Model 3 for the Chinese market at its factory in Shanghai.
