Elon Musk Says Tesla Robotaxi Could Go Driverless In Austin By Year-End, Walks Back Major Promise - Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)
TeslaTesla(US:TSLA) Benzinga·2025-10-23 05:30

Core Insights - Tesla CEO Elon Musk anticipates the removal of onboard safety operators from Robotaxi operations in Austin, Texas, by the end of the year [1][2] - The company is adopting a cautious approach to the deployment of Robotaxis, with Musk emphasizing the importance of safety [2][3] - Tesla aims to expand Robotaxi operations to eight to ten metro areas in the U.S. by year-end, contingent on regulatory approvals [4][5] Deployment and Operations - The expectation is to operate Robotaxis without safety drivers in large parts of Austin by the end of this year [2][3] - Tesla has reported that Robotaxis have covered over 250 million miles in Austin and over 1 million miles in the San Francisco Bay Area [4] - The total mileage for Full Self-Driving (FSD) supervised operations has reached 6 billion miles [4] Regulatory and Market Context - The planned expansion to eight to ten cities is a significant reduction from Musk's earlier goal of serving over 50% of the U.S. population with Robotaxis [5] - Current Robotaxi operations are limited to Austin and a ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area [5] Corporate Governance - Musk criticized proxy advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis for opposing his compensation package, labeling them as "corporate terrorists" [6] - Tesla's Board Chair Robyn Denholm urged investors to support Musk's pay package, criticizing the advisory firms' approach [6] Performance Metrics - Tesla scores well on Momentum, Quality, and Growth metrics, but has a poor Value rating [7] - The company shows a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium, and Long term [7]