NEW YORK: Elon Musk will significantly scale back his Trump administration work in May to focus on Tesla, the billionaire announced on Tuesday as the electric vehicle maker reported a 71 percent drop in first-quarter profits.

`Probably in the next month, my time allocation to DOGE will drop significantly,` Musk said at the outset of an earnings conference call, referring to his work for the `Department of Government Efficiency.

The comments came as Tesla reported profits of $409 million following a drop in auto sales that analysts said reflected brand damage due to Musk`s work for President Donald Trump in slashing the US federal workforce.

Revenues fell nine percent to $19.3 billion.

The company retreated from its 2025 guidance, citing unpredictability over trade policy and demand.

`Uncertainty in the automotive and energy markets continues to increase as rapidly evolving trade policy adversely impacts the global supply chain and cost structure of Tesla and our peers,` the company said.-AFP