Jan 26 (Reuters) - Tesla investors head into earnings on Wednesday looking for evidence that Elon Musk's long-promised self-driving bet is beginning to materialize even as results show growing strain on the company's electric-vehicle business.

Tesla’s annual profit plunged to its lowest level since the pandemic five years ago as it lost the title of the world’s biggest electric vehicle maker to a Chinese rival and boycotts hammered sales. The EV company run by Elon Musk reported Wednesday that net income last year dropped 46% to $3.