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Tesla Shares Slide as Robotaxi Event Lacks Hoped-for Specifics

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Key points

  • Tesla's much-anticipated We, Robot event saw the unveiling of a brand new 'Cybercab' on Thursday
  • However, the firm's share price slid 8.5% the following morning as investors protested the lack of hoped-for specifics
  • It remains to be seen whether the disappointing event will cause lasting damage for the EV giant

The event marked the unveiling of the $30,000 Robocab, but investors were left cold by a lack of specifics

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares fell 8.5% following Thursday night’s Robotaxi Day, despite expectations that the event would be a watershed moment for the electric vehicle manufacturer.

CEO Elon Musk used the much-anticipated We, Robot event to officially unveil the Tesla Cybercab, slated for release “before 2027”. However, TSLAs tock fell the following morning, with the general impression among stakeholders being that the event lacked hoped-for specifics.

A share-price pullback may have been inevitable on Friday as Tesla shares had already gained around 45% since Musk announced the upcoming Robotaxi Day back in April. Post-event, it seemed that the consensus view was that much of what Musk and Tesla stated during the presentation had already been said before.

Musk showcases “Cybercab” self-driving taxi

The most talked-about highlight of Tesla’s Robotaxi Day was the automaker’s unveiling of a self-driving taxi. In addition to the Cybercab, the firm revealed an autonomous van called the Robovan, and teased that a limited robotaxi service could be available as early as 2025.

Perhaps the most notable revelation during the event was that the Cybercab could be priced below $30,000.

A “toothless” presentation?

While TSLA stock dropped the morning after, some commentators expressed disappointment in Tesla and Musk’s presentation. For example, analysts with Jefferies opined that Tesla’s robotaxi appears “toothless.”

Furthermore, Laffer Tengler Investments CEO Nancy Tengler declared that the concepts in Tesla’s presentation were “all grand”, but that the “only specific” in the presentation “was the $30,000 for a Cybercab”.

RBC Capital Markets analyst Tom Narayan felt an overall sense of disappointment, arguing that “investors we spoke to at the event thought the event was light of real numbers and timelines”.

Recovering from a “letdown”

Barron’s reported that Tesla’s Robotaxi Day event was “a bit of a letdown,” and this seems to be the consensus view among Friday’s commentators. Whether the plunge in Tesla stock is a buying opportunity or the start of a deeper dip remains to be seen.

Going forward, Musk and Tesla may have opportunities to recover from the apparently disappointing event by providing more technical and timeline-related specifics regarding the new vehicles. For now, though, it looks like the market is hungry for more details and clarity.

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David Moadel
Financial Writer

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