Tesla CEO Elon Musk boards Air Force One in Morristown, N.J., on March 22. Even if Mr. Musk’s once-loyal detractors eventually forget his political dalliances and embrace Tesla again, that is no guarantee the company can rebound.Nathan Howard/Reuters

Gus Carlson is a U.S.-based columnist for The Globe and Mail.

Elon Musk’s decision to cut back on his commitment to U.S. President Donald Trump last month and pay more attention to Tesla TSLA-Q could not have come at a better time for the troubled market leader in electric vehicles.

The questions now are whether the Tesla founder’s move is too little, too late to meet the rapidly rising competitive threat from Chinese EV-makers, and will his once-faithful but increasingly angry customer base eventually forgive and forget his widely unpopular foray into the world of partisan politics?

The answers will determine whether

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