Week 41/24 Highlights: Reactions to Tesla's Robotaxis, Environmental Impact, and China Sales Statistics; DHL Trials Semi Trucks

Tesla's Futuristic Event: A Mixed Bag of Autonomous Vehicles, Humanoid Robots, and Electric Milestones

In a recent event held on a Warner Brothers film lot in Los Angeles, Tesla showcased a variety of futuristic innovations, including self-driving vehicles, humanoid robots, and electric vehicle milestones.

Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, presented the Cybercab robotaxi, a self-driving vehicle with two seats, two upward-opening doors, and a unique design that resembles a blend of the Model Y at the front and the Cybertruck at the rear. The Cybercab does not have pedals or a steering wheel, indicating Tesla's commitment to autonomous driving technology. However, Musk did not reveal any plans for Autopilot or Full Self-Driving (FSD) features for the Semi during the event.

Tesla provided 50 fully autonomous cars for guests to take short rides, including 21 Cybercabs and the rest Model Ys. However, it's worth noting that Tesla has not yet obtained approval for tests with actual autonomy, unlike its competitors.

Musk also unveiled the Robovan, a van-style robotaxi, and the Optimus robots, humanoid machines. The Optimus robots took orders, imitated their counterparts, and engaged in natural-seeming conversations, leading to doubts about their AI control. Some visitors reported that human remote assistance was involved in the Optimus robots' actions during the event. The current version of Tesla's humanoid Optimus robot is 2.5, which shows slow and limited AI assistant capabilities and modest walking movements. Production plans aim for around 10,000 units in 2024 and a production version 2 in 2025, with Elon Musk announcing intentions to produce the first 5,000 Optimus robots in 2025.

On a positive note, Tesla's factory in Shanghai produced its three-millionth electric vehicle last week, and its plant in Grünheide produced its 400,000th Model Y since production began in March 2022.

However, Tesla's stock price dropped nearly 9% on the morning of the day following the event and barely improved by the end of the day. Analysts were largely disappointed with the event, as shown by a compilation of their negative assessments. Morgan Stanley expressed disappointment with the lack of detail about Tesla's plan to transition from assisted driving to true autonomy.

One concrete statement Musk made about autonomy was that Model 3 and Model Y will drive unsupervised with necessary permits using FSD in California and Texas next year. The Tesla Semi, which is currently in a pilot series since late 2022 and is manually controlled, is expected to be integrated into DHL's network before large-scale Semi production in 2026.

Despite the mixed reactions, Musk emphasized that humanoid robots would become more important to Tesla than electric cars and autonomous driving. The Optimus robots, with their potential to assist in various tasks, could indeed be a game-changer in the future. However, the path to achieving true autonomy in Tesla's vehicles remains uncertain, with Musk's statement from the Q1 earnings call in April still relevant: "If you don't believe that Tesla will get autonomy right, you should not invest in the company."

Week 41/24 Highlights: Reactions to Tesla's Robotaxis, Environmental Impact, and China Sales Statistics; DHL Trials Semi Trucks