An Internal Tesla Analysis Found the Robotaxi Would Lose Money, and You'll Never Guess What Elon Musk Did in Response

Back in October of 2024, Tesla investors and fanboys alike flocked to Hollywood for the company's "We, Robot" event. The company's backers hoped Musk would finally unveil the long-awaited "$25,000 Tesla" — a lower-budget EV that was sure to rejuvenate sales as the costly Cybertruck flopped — but what they got was anything but. Instead, the event kicked off with a visibly stiff Elon Musk waving to the crowd and climbing into a garish gold sedan. It was our first peak at Cybercab, Tesla's self-driving taxi platform. The event also rolled out a bizarro pill-shaped prototype called Robovan and gave a live demonstration of Optimus, a supposedly AI-powered humanoid robot. Each product came with limited details and vague delivery timelines from Musk. Tesla's stocks immediately slipped the next morning while serious investors derided the event as a bunch of "cheap parlor tricks." Optimus subsequently sputtered, and we haven't heard a peep about the Robovan. It's the Cybercab — which is sla ... Read full article.