Tesla has reportedly pushed back the unveiling of its highly anticipated “robotaxi” design, originally scheduled for August 8, to October. According to Bloomberg News, the company needs more time to build the necessary prototypes for the event.
The delay comes as a surprise, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk had previously teased the robotaxi event in April, on the same day that Reuters reported the company was shelving plans for a new $25,000 vehicle. Musk denied that report at the time, stating that Tesla had internally planned to build the dedicated robotaxi and the $25,000 car, often referred to as the “Model 2,” on the same platform.
However, Musk has since shifted his focus towards the robotaxi project, favoring a move towards a fully autonomous vehicle over a traditional car with a steering wheel and pedals. Just a few weeks after announcing the robotaxi event, Musk also slashed more than 10% of Tesla’s global workforce, stating that the company was going “balls to the wall for autonomy.”
This delay in the robotaxi reveal is not the first time Musk has announced something publicly that has taken his own employees by surprise. In February, he revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that the long-delayed second-generation Tesla Roadster would be capable of even faster speeds, an announcement that caught the Roadster development team off guard, according to reports.
Similarly, the initial robotaxi event announcement surprised many Tesla employees, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The postponement of the robotaxi reveal event has had an immediate impact on Tesla’s stock price, with shares falling more than 6% following the Bloomberg report. Investors and analysts will be closely watching for any updates from the company as it works to finalize the prototypes and prepare for the new October unveiling.
