Robotaxis

Tesla’s Q3 earnings call left investors uneasy as Elon Musk avoided discussing key financial metrics like EV demand and tariff impacts. The stock dipped after-hours. Musk focused on future robotaxis and humanoid robots (Optimus), claiming they’ll revolutionize society. However, autonomous driving efforts remain limited. FSD adoption is low, and revenue lags. Musk also emphasized his control over the “robot army,” criticizing proxy advisors against his pay plan. Tesla’s brand perception and investor confidence appear to be declining.

Waymo is partnering with Lyft to launch autonomous vehicles in Nashville, marking their first commercial agreement and sending Lyft’s stock up 10%. Riders will initially access Waymo vehicles through the Waymo One app, eventually integrating into Lyft’s platform. Lyft will manage fleet operations. Waymo, already operating in several cities and surpassing 10 million paid trips, plans further expansion. This move intensifies competition in the autonomous vehicle market, where Waymo faces challenges domestically from companies like Tesla and internationally from Baidu.