Tesla sales plunge again as anti-Musk boycott shows staying power and rivals pounce on the weakness

NEW YORK — Sales of Tesla electric cars fell sharply in the last three months as boycotts over Elon Musk’s political views continue to keep buyers away, a significant development given expectations that anger with the company’s billionaire CEO would have faded by now.

The 13% sales plunge over a year earlier suggests Musk’s embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right politicians in Europe has had a deep and enduring impact on Tesla’s brand appeal. The new figures reported by Tesla on Wednesday also show rival electric-vehicle makers have wasted no time pouncing on the company’s weakness to steal market share, and signals Tesla’s quarterly earnings report later this month could also disappoint.

Sales fell to 384,122 in April through June, down from 443,956 in the same three months last year. During the latest period, Musk formally left the Trump administration as a cost-cutting czar, and hopes rose that

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