Tesla tumbles as new exits raise fresh concerns

Shares of Tesla Motors tumbled Friday as a pair of executive departures raised fresh concerns for the electric automaker already in turmoil over the erratic behavior of its mercurial chief executive Elon Musk.

Tesla shares sank 7.0 per cent to USD 26.34 in mid-morning trading after chief accounting officer Dave Morton announced his exit after only a month on the job, citing the company's frenetic pace.

Separately, human resources chief Gabrielle Toledano told Bloomberg she planned to exit the company, not returning from a leave of absence.

Morton's departure further roiled the company which has been under heightened scrutiny since Musk's chaotic announcement on August 7 on Twitter that he was considering taking Tesla private, a plan that was reversed two weeks later.

The ill-fated effort has prompted a US securities investigation and a class-action lawsuit alleging Musk was trying to punish investors who bet against the company.

Morton's brief tenure with the company coincided with the aborted go-private push.

"Since I joined Tesla on August 6th, the level of public attention placed on the company, as well as the pace within the company, have exceeded my expectations," Morton said in a securities filing.

"As a result, this caused me to reconsider my future. I want to be clear that I believe strongly in Tesla, its mission, and its future prospects, and I have no disagreements with Tesla's leadership or its financial reporting."