One way to antagonise Elon Musk is to mention that he did not found Tesla. The electric car maker was incorporated by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning in 2003, a year before Musk led an investment in the company.

But for most of Tesla’s history, Musk has been synonymous with it. Few motorists could tell you who runs Kia or Nissan, but many Tesla owners talk as if they are on a first name basis with “Elon”.

Would Tesla be better off without Elon Musk? Credit: AP

Imagining Tesla without its mercurial boss, who sparked the electric vehicle revolution, is like imagining Disney without Mickey Mouse.

But an increasingly loud chorus is questioning whether Tesla might be better off without its volatile chief executive (his official title at the company is Technoking).

The company’s sales have fallen sharply in recent months in a move tied to his support of Donald Trump and far-Right parties including Germany’s AfD, with the historically progressive consumer base that bought most electric cars distancing themselves from Musk.

In recent weeks, the company’s shares have also plunged as Musk has fallen out with the US president and set up his own “America Party”.

His row with Trump, which has seen the president threaten to deport Musk, appeared to scotch any chance of the........

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