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 company reported a 13% plunge in sales on Wednesday in another sign that Musk's embrace of U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right politicians in Europe has had a deep and enduring hit to Tesla's brand appeal. The new figures also suggest that Tesla could disappoint when it announces second quarter earnings later this month. In the first three months of this year, net income fell 71%.