Extra Tesla FSD Enlargement, & Extra “Fascinating” Feedback on Robots & AI

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Final night time I wrote the article “Tesla’s Hail Mary — Indicators of Progress vs. Current Gross sales Considerations,” however I wasn’t actually proud of how I wrote it and the core factors I needed to make. Properly, there’s a bit extra information from Tesla on FSD (Full Self Driving), Optimus (Tesla’s humanoid robotic), and AI (xAI particularly), so it offers me the chance to be extra clear.

My overarching factors are as follows:

• I don’t know what’s going to occur at Tesla, however for that matter, neither does Elon Musk, who has made quite a few large predictions prior to now decade which were manner off the mark, along with others which were on the mark.
• Tesla’s car gross sales have been declining for a few years (world gross sales in Q1–Q3 2023 had been 1,324,074in Q1–Q3 2024 had been 1,293,656, and in Q1–Q3 2025 had been 1,217,902). With out one thing vital taking place, it appears extremely doubtless that the downward gross sales pattern will proceed and even speed up.
• Nevertheless, for the previous 7+ years, Elon Musk’s focus for long-term car gross sales development at Tesla has been making an attempt to attain full self-driving functionality and robotaxi deployment. Musk has missed quite a few deadlines and forecasts over these years, however it’s true that numerous progress has additionally been made.
• The query is solely whether or not Tesla can obtain key capabilities and deployments that genuinely result in business robotaxi operations and that truly develop Tesla gross sales once more — probably by loads.
• (After which there’s a complete sideshow on humanoid robots.)

We’ve got centered loads on Tesla’s declining gross sales in recent times, as a result of that’s a transparent, agency end result that may be measured, and since there’s a lot to contemplate and talk about relating to why gross sales have been declining and the right way to handle that. We’ve got additionally coated Elon Musk’s robotaxi statements and Tesla’s FSD growth, together with from private testing and expertise with FSD for the previous 6+ years. Within the coming months or yr, although, it appears we’re reaching a essential juncture. Tesla’s story both will get much more detrimental or much more optimistic, relying on what occurs with FSD, robotaxis, and probably robots.

I do know there are numerous explanation why many individuals now despise Elon Musk and don’t need to see Tesla succeed, and there are additionally nonetheless many individuals who need to see the corporate attain new heights (together with individuals who love Elon Musk and individuals who hate him). I’m merely making an attempt to put out the information right here on what is going on with a purpose to objectively contemplate whether or not, as I mentioned, Tesla’s story will get much more detrimental or will get much more optimistic within the coming yr.

So, on to some extra information on these matters:

• Tesla has introduced that FSD Supervised is coming to Korea quickly.
• Tesla might purchase/merge with xAI. Adam Jonas of Morgan Stanley mentioned: “We don’t suppose buyers perceive simply how necessary xAI is to Tesla and the broader Muskonomy. Tesla’s relationship with xAI (financially and strategically) is deterministic to the long-term success of Tesla due partly to the pure synergies of information, software program, {hardware}, and manufacturing in recursive loops. The values (and worth methods) of each Tesla and xAI are endowed by the values of their shared creator. We consider this co-determination turns into extra apparent within the subsequent phases of bodily AI/ autonomy for Tesla within the yr forward.” And Elon Musk responded: “My corporations are, surprisingly in some methods, trending in the direction of convergence.” Will Musk have Tesla merge with (i.e., purchase/bail out) xAI? Is that this SolarCity 2.0?
• Tesla Optimus might be your private stalker cop? I swear, Elon Musk is competing with himself for probably the most ridiculous concepts for a way Optimus might be utilized in a fantastical future. At Tesla’s 2025 Shareholder Assembly, Musk mentioned: “If anyone’s dedicated a criminal offense, we’d be capable of present a extra humane type of containment of future crime. You now get a free Optimus, and it’s simply going to comply with you round and cease you from doing crime. Aside from that, you get to do something; it’s simply going to cease you from committing crime. That’s actually it. You don’t should put individuals in prisons and stuff. It’s fairly wild to consider all the probabilities, however I feel it’s clearly the longer term.” Ah, sure, that sounds fantastic — Optimus following me round in every single place to verify if I’m committing any crimes. Sounds beautiful. And also you get an Optimus stalker cop! And also you get an Optimus stalker cop!

Which of these items will occur? Properly, #1 appears basically sure, however it’s nonetheless simply FSD Supervised; #2 is anybody’s guess, however possibly extra doubtless than not should you’ve been following the corporate since SolarCity was an organization; and #3 is totally whackjob loopy and never going to occur. What’s for dinner?