Wall Street's well-known tech analyst, Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, is famous for his sports metaphors, often comparing the market to investors' "heart-stopping moments." Now, this flag-bearer for Tesla bulls seems to be experiencing such a heart-stopping moment himself.

After Tesla's stock price experienced a brutal decline over three months, the analyst pointed out that CEO Elon Musk must refocus on Tesla's business. Ives emphasized: "Musk urgently needs to change the current course... the future of Tesla hangs in the balance," and bluntly stated that the company is going through a "major crisis," with only the founder able to turn things around.

Primary Task: Balancing Multiple Roles

Musk must formally commit to properly allocating his dual roles as the head of the White House Government Efficiency Department (DOGE) special task force and CEO of Tesla. Given the widespread perception that he is "putting 110% of his energy into DOGE affairs," Musk needs to refocus on the troubled electric vehicle company.

"Musk needs to prove his determination with actions rather than words. We expect this commitment to be fulfilled around the first-quarter earnings call in early May," Ives wrote in the report. Analysts believe that if Musk can rebalance his focus, it could help repair the damage to the brand's reputation."

core strategy: clarify the roadmap for affordable vehicles

What is more strategically significant for Tesla's business is that Musk must unveil the long-anticipated development plan for an affordable electric vehicle. Since last year's promise of mass production of an entry-level model by 2025, a specific roadmap has been missing. It is revealed that the model might be based on a streamlined version of the Model Y.

Ives also emphasized that investors are eager to learn about the progress of the full self-driving (FSD) taxi project to be launched in Austin, Texas, in June. Autonomous driving technology is a key factor for most analysts who are optimistic about Tesla. Notably, California regulators recently approved Tesla's internal autonomous ride-hailing test for employees—although this news was not disclosed through official channels, it marks a crucial step toward the commercialization of Robotaxis.

Countdown Begins: May Earnings Report Becomes Key Milestone

"Facing the demand crisis triggered by the Model Y facelift, inventory backlog, and brand damage... the only thing investors are looking forward to is Musk's own voice." Ives maintains his "outperform" rating and $550 target price. The analyst points out that Musk needs to give a clear signal at the latest by the earnings call in May, and the market is waiting with bated breath. "

At this moment, Tesla is facing a new crisis: due to the risk of body trim falling off during driving, the company has announced a recall of 46,000 Cybertruck electric pickups. Under the叠加的压力下，创始人能否及时掌舵，将成为决定这家电动车巨头命运的关键转折。 翻译为： Under the叠加的压力下，founder's ability to steer in time will become the key turning point determining the fate of this electric vehicle giant. 注：原文中“叠加的压力下”似乎未完全给出，这里直接翻译了给定的部分。如需完整表达，请提供完整的中文句子。基于上下文，这部分可以被理解为“Amidst the compounded pressures”，但为了保持忠实于原文，此处仅对给定内容进行了直译。若允许稍作调整以确保流畅，则可改为： Amidst the compounded pressures, the founder's ability to steer in time will become the key turning point determining the fate of this electric vehicle giant.