Elon Musk has been called a Moonshot Master, the Edison of Our Age and the Architect of the Future, but he's got a big problem at his car company and it's not clear he can fix it: damage to its brand.

The automaker's shares rose nearly 8% on Wednesday after Musk said he would cut back his work for President Trump to a day or two per week.

Tesla investors breathed a sigh of relief after CEO Elon Musk said he would refocus his attention on the electric automaker, but that promise did not entirely dispel worries that his right-wing shift had irrevocably damaged the company's brand.

I'll continue to advocate for lower tariffs rather than higher tariffs, but that's all I can do,” Musk said about Trump’s tariffs.

The electric vehicle Goliath has suffered a series of blows that have derailed its stock price, frustrated investors, and looted hundreds of billions of dollars off CEO Elon Musk's net worth. Much of the damage has arguably been self-inflicted.

Elon Musk said China wants assurances that the rare-earth magnets needed to build Optimus will not be used for "military purposes."

"Without having to do anything, Beijing already seems to have the upper hand here," said CNN Beijing bureau chief Seven Jiang.

Tesla will be releasing first-quarter financial results after the bell with the electric vehicle maker coping with sluggish sales and fallout from its CEO’s prominent role in the Trump administration