Elon Musk, once the face of Tesla’s meteoric rise, seems to be turning his focus elsewhere just as the company faces mounting challenges. With Tesla’s sales slipping and competition heating up, investors and analysts are beginning to question whether Musk still has the passion — or the time — to lead the electric carmaker.

Sales of Tesla vehicles tumbled 45% in Europe last month, even as the overall EV market picked up in the region. The stock closed 8% lower on Tuesday.

Shares of the US electric vehicle pioneer Tesla slumped as much as nine percent Tuesday, as investors digested disappointing European sales and chief executive