Nearly two weeks ago, Reuters exclusively reported the company had scrapped plans for a lower-cost electric vehicle.

Tesla denied the report, and CEO Elon Musk wrote (quote), "Reuters is lying" on his social media platform X.

But since then, he has left shareholders hanging, providing no concrete updates on the status of the car - a Model 2 EV that would start at $25,000.

Now, some are demanding clear answers - not only about the car, but also about Musk's plans for addressing a sales slide amid falling demand worldwide and rising competition from cheaper Chinese EVs.

On top of that, Tesla this week announced it was laying off 10% of its global workforce.

Which is why Musk's silence on the Model 2 is all the more "gut-wrenching", said one analyst, who called the car "instrumental" to the company's growth.

A wealth manager and Tesla shareholder put it even more bluntly, telling Reuters (quote), "There's no point in even investing in Tesla if they don't come out with this car."

On the same day as the Reuters report, Musk made things even murkier - posting another comment that said the company's self-driving Robotaxi would be unveiled on August 8, but giving no other details.

That's left many investors uncertain about which vehicle Tesla plans to build next - and, critically, on what timeline.

Musk and Tesla did not respond to requests for comment.

While Tesla remains the world's most valuable automaker, shares have fallen 45% since a recent July peak.