Tesla’s next bet could flip the robotaxi race

Safe to say it has been quite the wild ride this year if you’re a Tesla (TSLA) stockholder.

One minute it’s the shiny Robotaxi launch, the next it’s headlines about Elon Musk’s ongoing spat with President Trump.

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Also, who can forget Musk’s shocking political-party curveball, which even led Wedbush’s Dan Ives to urge Tesla’s board to impose “ground rules” on such endeavors.

In all that mess, though, Musk still has his eyes glued to the Robotaxi finish line. With Waymo and Uber breathing down his neck, this next bold move might just be what flips Tesla’s story around.

Tesla’s next Robotaxi could be the company’s boldest bet yet

Image source: Terence Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Tesla’s robotaxi dreams hit speed bumps as rivals race ahead

Tesla’s push to dominate the robotaxi game has been far from smooth sailing.

Over the past few months, its hyped rollout has witnessed a lot more potholes than the bulls likely expected.

Winding the clocks back to late June, Musk unveiled the much-anticipated robotaxi in a geofenced area of Austin, complete with safety monitors onboard.

Early reactions were mixed, with many pointing out that the safety monitors were not exactly the driverless ride Tesla promised. Still, many found the robotaxi ride smooth, comparing it to a regular Uber trip, while Ives summed it up as pretty normal and safe.

However, just days after the robotaxi debut, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched a probe, seeking answers from the EV giant after videos showed cars veering into oncoming lanes and speeding.

Meanwhile, Waymo’s proving it can effectively scale where Tesla still stalls.

The Google-owned company announced a major expansion in June, which takes its driverless service across a massive swath of Los Angeles and the wider Bay Area.

Consequently, Neighborhoods like Mountain View and Palo Alto (prime Tesla territory) now see Waymo’s white vans cruising around under real-world conditions.

Additionally, Uber just locked in a big deal with Pony.ai.

The plan is to lock Pony’s robotaxis into Uber’s app in California and Arizona by late 2026.

This partnership gives Uber more range, tapping into both Waymo and Pony, two of the biggest names in the robotaxi space.

All this is happening as Tesla’s stock takes fresh hits from Musk’s political brawls.

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His back-and-forth with Donald Trump has completely shifted the focus away from its actual tech milestones, adding fresh headaches for its patient investors.

Musk bets big on Bay Area for robotaxi test run

Tesla’s next robotaxi chapter is at the heart of the tech world.

Musk unveiled plans for the company to kick off its autonomous ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area in the next couple of months, barring any regulatory hiccups.

The Bay Area isn’t exactly an easy launch pad.

Local lawmakers have vehemently pushed back on robotaxis for years, citing traffic chaos and safety concerns.

Waymo, Tesla’s biggest self-driving rival, has faced a ton of city pushback after high-profile fender-benders and sudden stops that clogged intersections.

However, Musk seems confident in Tesla’s ability to fare better, betting the company’s local fan base will help.

San Francisco has long been a playground for tech pilots, and Tesla’s decision could prove a headline-grabbing debut.

If it works, the payoff could be huge, as investors crave fresh catalysts to propel Tesla's stock higher this year.

Though the company’s robotaxi debut in Austin was relatively small, the splash in California could prove massive.

For now, though, the major roadblock is regulators, who are likely to play spoilsport.

With city leaders on edge over robotaxis, Tesla’s rollout timeline could shift fast.

However, if Musk gets the green light, we could see those signature Teslas driving themselves around the Bay sooner than you think.