Tesla Robotaxi unveiling: expectations are low, could Tesla overdeliver?
Expectations appear to be quite low for Tesla’s Robotaxi unveiling on Thursday. Could Tesla surprise us?
On Thursday, Tesla is holding its ‘We, Robot’ event, which it previously described as its ‘Robotaxi unveiling’.
The automaker is expected to unveil an electric vehicle dedicated to self-driving. CEO Elon Musk has hinted that it will not have a steering wheel or pedals.
While this can be exciting on its own for some, those who have followed Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ (FSD) effort for years are a little more skeptical.
Tesla’s Supervised FSD has fallen short of even short-term goals stated by the CEO Elon Musk with the system still being at only about 120 miles between critical disengagement 3 years into the program:
It makes its long-term goal, which is for the system to work unsupervised as a robotaxi, even less believable.
Tesla fans and Wall Street analysts are trying to understand how this new dedicated robotaxi will fit into those plans, as Tesla has previously focused on making its existing consumer vehicles self-driving.
Wall Street Expectations
There’s not a ton of hype for the event on Wall Street.
Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi commented on the event:
“While Tesla is clearly focused on launching a robotaxi, Waymo and Cruise are already operating robotaxis in the U.S. today. The available data is clearly imperfect, but as of today Tesla appears to be lagging behind the leaders in the space.”
Guggenheim Securities Director of Automotive Equity Research Ronald Jewsikow thinks that Tesla would need to show a “credible path to robotaxi commercialization in the next 12 to 24 months” to satisfy the street and he doesn’t think that’s likely:
Ultimately, there are a lot of boxes that have to be checked, and we think that a real credible path to robotaxi commercialization in the next 12 to 24 months is extremely unlikely to come out of this event.
As for William Blair analyst Jed Dorsheimer, he expects a “sell the news” situation:
“I would not be surprised, and fully expect, the stock to pull back on the event. The trend for most of Tesla’s analyst days/big announcements is the stock runs into those as expectations rise…then there is a disappointment.”
Finally, Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley, who is undoubtedly the most bullish Wall Street analyst on Tesla, believes that the automaker will clearly separate the robotaxi/Cybercab program with its existing FSD:
“Potential initial commercial introduction could be late 2025 or 2026. It is our expectation that Tesla will offer a ‘dual’ approach with respect to autonomous ridesharing: (1) the fully autonomous app-based cybercab and (2) a ‘supervised’ autonomous/FSD rideshare service.”
While this is a possibility, it offers its own challenges as it might undermine its current strategy, which it has been selling to customers for 8 years.
Electrek’s Take
I think Jonas is probably right. I think the core of the event is going to be the Robotaxi/Cybercab unveiling.
We will see the actual vehicle, but the strategy for making it autonomous will be more interesting.
Is Tesla going to base the hardware on the same system found in its consumer vehicle? The answer to that question has great implications for its ability to deliver on its self-driving promises for millions of vehicles already on the road.
It could be the same, or similar, hardware, but will Tesla start using a mapped and geo-fenced approach to offer self-driving rideshares in some markets with its new Robotaxi in order to utilize it sooner?
I think that’s a real possibility, but that also has implications regarding Tesla’s current effort.
Due to Tesla’s resistance to releasing any data regarding its FSD program and the crowdsource data looking awful, I have doubts that Tesla can show anything game-changing on the self-driving front at the event.
Where Tesla could potentially overdeliver on expectations at the event is with new vehicles.
We know that Tesla has been developing two new, cheaper vehicles based on the Model 3 and Model Y, with plans to bring them to market as soon as next year.
If that’s the case, I would expect an unveiling pretty soon. Therefore, this event is a potential opportunity.
I think that could be more meaningful than a Cybercab, which would either deliver the same thing Waymo has been doing for years or be dependent on Tesla’s FSD progress, which doesn’t seem capable of delivering anything that is not supervised for a few more years.
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Greenlane, which provides public charging infrastructure for electric trucks, just rolled out a new dealer program called “Charge On Us,” which offers $500 in charging credits and six months of free Greenlane Edge subscription access with every qualifying electric truck purchase. The offer applies across light-, medium-, and heavy-duty models. Velocity Truck Centers, one of North America’s largest commercial truck dealers with 65 locations across the US, is the first partner to sign on.
Scott Zeppenfeldt, COO of Velocity, said charging is the biggest unknown for customers considering the switch. “Where to charge, how to support it, and how to pay for it all” often stops fleets from moving forward, he explained. “Greenlane’s ‘Charge On Us’ program removes those hurdles by letting our customers rely on public infrastructure instead of investing time and money in their own charging setup. We’re excited to run pilot programs out of their flagship Colton facility and utilize other sites on their network. This gives us a real-world proving ground to show customers how straightforward electric can be when the charging piece is handled.”
For dealers, the program comes with sales support, marketing resources, and customer service, plus access to Greenlane’s growing public charging network. Dealers also get subscriptions to the network, which makes it easier to run pilots at Greenlane facilities and test the experience with customers. The Greenlane Edge subscription unlocks discounted charging rates, advanced reservation tools, and billing software that can lower the total cost of ownership and streamline freight operations. Fleets also gain access to real-time charging data, route planning support, and consolidated billing.
“As more heavy-duty fleets shift to electric, we need to address the real concerns holding them back: where to charge, cost, and how to deploy charging infrastructure day one,” said Patrick Macdonald-King, CEO of Greenlane. “Our program tackles these issues by providing immediate charging credits, access to high-speed chargers, and our technology ecosystem that delivers a seamless charging solution. Partnering with Velocity helps us scale that impact and make electrification easier for more companies by lowering the cost of entry and complexity of procuring power and deploying infrastructure.”
Greenlane opened its flagship charging center in Colton, California, in April. The site features over 40 high-speed chargers, including 12 pull-through and 29 bobtail lanes built for medium- and heavy-duty EVs. It also offers driver-friendly amenities like restrooms, wifi, carports, and 24/7 security, plus extras such as office space and parking. The Colton facility sits at the junction of I-215 and I-10 and anchors Greenlane’s I-15 charging corridor linking Los Angeles and Las Vegas. It’s also part of the I-10 corridor, with new sites on the way in Blythe, California, and Greater Phoenix.
Read more: Greenlane launches a second long-haul EV truck corridor pilot
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The Jeep Gladiator 4xe is dead before arrival. Jeep’s plug-in pickup was expected to arrive as a sibling to the Wrangler PHEV, but that will no longer be the case.
Why did Jeep cancel the Gladiator 4xe?
Jeep’s plug-in hybrid pickup was set to arrive this year. As a midsize pickup and one of the best-selling Jeep vehicles in the US, the Gladiator is a perfect fit for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system, right?
It seemed like it, but Jeep maker Stellantis disagrees. According to a report from Automotive News, Stellantis told its suppliers that it’s no longer planning to launch the Gladiator 4xe.
The Gladiator PHEV is the latest vehicle that Stellantis has canceled as it reassesses its product lineup in the US.
A company spokesperson confirmed the decision with Car and Driver, saying, “As customers’ propulsion preferences for battery-electric trucks continue to evolve, Stellantis is reassessing its product strategy and will no longer include an electrified Gladiator variant in the Jeep lineup.”
The spokesperson added that Jeep has “already begun reinvesting funding to ensure the long-term growth of the Jeep Gladiator and will introduce even more customer-requested factory features, customization, and additional powertrain options in the near future.”
Does that mean an “electrified” option is still in the pipeline? It could. Earlier this month, Stellantis canceled Ram’s all-electric pickup, the Ram 1500 REV. It also dropped the base R/T trim from the Dodge Charger EV.
The Ramcharger, a range-extended electric vehicle (REEV), will instead take its spot and name (Ram 1500 REV). With the plug-in hybrid Gladiator 4xe canceled, Jeep’s Gladiator could be next in line for an REEV powertrain option.
Until then, Jeep still offers plug-in hybrid Wrangler and Grand Cherokee models, which were the top two best-selling PHEVs in the US in the first half of 2025.
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XCharge North America (NA) and Ascentium Capital have launched a new leasing program to help small-business owners host DC fast chargers without having to front huge amounts of cash or rely on government incentives.
Businesses can lease XCharge NA’s DC fast chargers – up to 400kW – for an affordable monthly rate. That way, they can tap into the US public DC fast-charging market, which is expected to grow at a 14% compound annual rate through 2040 and generate $3.3 billion in annual market value, without paying steep upfront costs. Unlike charging-as-a-service models, where operators earn a percentage of the revenue, lessees in this program can earn the full charging revenue.
The program is modeled after a financing structure used in the auto industry. It bundles installation, equipment, warranties, and maintenance into a single package to simplify things for business owners. XCharge NA says its GridLink and C6 chargers can also be installed faster than typical fast chargers, and the equipment can be moved to different sites if needed. Because the chargers integrate with existing infrastructure, businesses don’t need to worry about major grid upgrades or transformer installations.
“At our core, XCharge NA has always been focused on making EV charging more accessible for businesses of all sizes – from high-traffic airports to small-business owners,” said Aatish Patel, co-founder and president of XCharge NA. “Our new financing model was designed to mitigate risk for individuals looking to get into EV charging without significant upfront [capital expenditure].”
Patel added that working with Ascentium brought the financial expertise needed to make the program possible. Stephen Interlicchio, senior vice president of strategic services for Ascentium, said, “This type of flexible capital option is exactly what the industry needs now, especially to empower small businesses and real estate owners that don’t have the ability to pay significant costs up front but are committed to participating in the EV transition.”
Leasing a C6 EV charger (pictured) starts at $800 a month. You can learn more here.
Read more: Texas trailblazes with DC fast chargers with integrated battery storage
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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