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Tesla’s Elon Musk talks Autopilot and Level 5 Autonomy at China AI conference

(Credit: WAIC 2020/YouTube)

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Quite unlike his previous appearance at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in China last year, Elon Musk’s appearance at this year’s event featured what could only be described as a Q&A session about Tesla’s tech and AI. During his talk, Musk covered several topics, from the rollout of Level 5 Autonomy to the utilization of Project Dojo to the work that’s being done so far in Gigafactory Shanghai.

When Musk was asked about how AI plays a role in the rollout of full self-driving technologies, the CEO remarked that autonomy is indeed coming, and it would be coming quickly. Musk then reiterated his previous points about the release of a feature-complete version of Tesla’s Full Self Driving suite, which should be ready by the end of the year. Interestingly enough, the CEO emphasized that he no longer sees any fundamental challenges that Tesla could face on the way towards achieving Level 5 autonomy.

Apart from these, Musk highlighted that real-world data is incomparable when it comes to developing full self-driving systems. Real-world scenarios are complex, Musk stated, and thus, simulations simply don’t cut it. To accomplish this, Tesla designed its own FSD unit, Hardware 3, as well as Dojo, a training computer that could allow the company’s neural networks to be trained in a quicker, more effective manner. This vertical integration matters, and it sets Tesla apart from competitors in the market.

“I think there are no fundamental challenges remaining for Level 5 autonomy. There are many small problems. And then there’s the challenge of solving all those small problems and then putting the whole system together and just keep addressing the long tail of problems. So you’ll find that you’re able to handle the vast majority of situations. But then there will be something very odd. You have to have a system figure out a train to deal with these odd situations. This is why you need real world situations. Nothing is more complex and weird than the real world,” Musk noted.

Apart from his discussions on Tesla’s Full Self Driving suite, Dojo program, and vertical integration, Elon Musk also spoke highly of the progress that could be seen in Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility, which is Tesla’s first vehicle production plant outside the United States dedicated for the Model 3 and Model Y, has been firing on all cylinders despite the onset of the coronavirus, and it has allowed China to provide a good boost to the company’s numbers in the second quarter. Musk remarked that he is impressed with Gigafactory Shanghai’s ramp so far, and that he cannot wait to visit the site once more.

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Overall, Musk’s appearance at the WAIC this year was a lot more insightful compared to his ad hoc debate with Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma last year. During that debate, Musk and Ma bumped opinions about the safety of AI, as well as the proper approach to developing artificial intelligence. While Musk was his usual cautious self, the Alibaba co-founder was optimistic, stating that AI would never be able to exceed the true capabilities of humans.

https://youtu.be/EPEIZAFpvgA?t=7274

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk sets definitive Tesla Cybercab production date and puts a rumor to rest

“The single biggest expansion in production will be the Cybercab, which starts production in Q2 next year.” -Elon Musk

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Credit: Teslarati

Tesla CEO Elon Musk finally set a definitive date for Tesla Cybercab production and, at the same time, put a substantial rumor regarding the vehicle that has been circulating within the community to rest.

Tesla’s Cybercab was unveiled last October as the company’s two-seater, affordable option that would ultimately be the car used for autonomous travel. It was initially slated for production in late 2025 or early 2026.

Tesla is ramping up its hiring for the Cybercab production team

However, Tesla has finally said it will start production of the Cybercab in Q2 2026, a more concrete date for the company, as it has moved the entire project forward in recent weeks by testing it at the Fremont Test Track and conducting crash safety assessments.

Musk said on the Q3 2025 Earnings Call:

“The single biggest expansion in production will be the Cybercab, which starts production in Q2 next year. That’s really a vehicle that’s optimized for full autonomy. It, in fact, does not have a steering wheel or pedals and is really an enduring optimization on minimizing cost per mile for fully considered cost per mile of operation.”

In that quote, Musk also put a rumor that has been circulating within the community to rest. Some started to speculate whether Cybercab would be sold with a steering wheel and pedals, as many of the elements of the car seemed to hint toward not being exclusively autonomous, including side mirrors being equipped, among other things.

It has been interesting to see some consider whether Tesla would sell the vehicle with the elements that would enable human control, especially as there have been a handful of images of the vehicle on company property with a steering wheel spotted.

However, Musk doubled down on the autonomous nature of the Cybercab with this confirmation during the earnings call, something that many investors likely wanted to hear because it was, in a way, a vote of confidence for the company’s path to autonomy.

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Investor's Corner

Tesla (TSLA) Q3 2025 earnings: Wall Street’s reactions

Tesla’s third-quarter 2025 results delivered the highest quarterly revenue in company history, and Wall Street analysts are taking notice. 

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s third-quarter 2025 results delivered record quarterly revenues, and Wall Street is taking notice. 

The automaker reported $28.1 billion in revenue, topping estimates of $26.4 billion, while non-GAAP EPS landed at $0.50 versus $0.54 expected. Despite the slight earnings miss, Tesla’s free cash flow surged to nearly $4.0 billion and total cash on hand jumped to $41.6 billion, a new high.

The following are some of Wall Street’s reactions to Tesla’s third-quarter results.

Mizuho

Mizuho analyst Vijay Rakesh maintained an “Outperform” rating on Tesla and raised the firm’s price target to $485 from $460 per share, pointing to Tesla’s next-generation autonomy roadmap. “We see 2026E better with stronger FSD traction and deliveries. TSLA is focusing on AI5/HW5 with ~40x gains gen/gen, while ramping Robotaxis and FSD into 2026E–27E.”

Rakesh also highlighted that Mizuho sees Tesla as “well-positioned” to lead “physical AI with Cybercab/FSD traction, humanoid longer term, offset by near-term demand headwinds.”

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Wedbush

Wedbush analyst Dan Ives reiterated his “Outperform” rating and $600 price target on Tesla. As per the analyst, “Tesla reported its FY3Q25 results featuring beats on the top-line while missing bottom-line expectations as the company benefitted from a pull-forward in its delivery segment with greater strength across EMEA and APAC while making gradual progress with its autonomous and energy businesses.” 

He also pointed to Musk’s upcoming compensation vote as a key inflection point: “We believe it will be approved by a wide margin despite some opposition,” Ives noted. “That will be incremental to keeping Musk as a war-time CEO as the company enters a critical AI expansion phase.”

Baird

Baird analyst Ben Kallo reiterated his “Outperform” rating and $548 per share price target for Tesla following the company’s Q3 2025 earnings results. He praised Tesla’s energy segment for delivering record results. 

“Energy demand is particularly high given grid constraints in several regions and a rapid build-out of infrastructure. We expect this piece of the business to capture more attention in the remainder of 2025 and moving into 2026 with the tipping points for longer-term initiatives (Optimus, robotaxi, etc.) more opaque,” Kallo noted.

Deepwater

Meanwhile, Deepwater’s Gene Munster struck a more measured tone. “The September numbers and earnings call were largely uneventful,” Munster said, adding that Tesla’s decision to move cautiously with robotaxis in Austin is the right one. 

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“Shares of TSLA traded down following Elon’s comment that he remains paranoid about the safety of Robotaxi given any accidents would represent a significant step back in terms of the public’s confidence in the fleet,” he wrote. Munster, however, emphasized that Tesla’s cash position is a major strength: “They have enough cash to will Elon’s vision into reality. It may take a lot longer than many expect, but they’ve got the cash to get there.”

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Investor's Corner

Tesla’s massive Q3 update reaffirms it’s not just a car company anymore

From record global deliveries to new AI breakthroughs, Megablock energy tech & next-gen Superchargers, Tesla showed why it’s still miles ahead.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla’s third-quarter update showcased a flurry of milestones across its vehicles, AI, and energy divisions. The company achieved record deliveries and energy storage deployments while launching new products in North America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. 

Tesla also emphasized its focus on scaling AI-powered autonomy and virtual power plant technology as part of its push towards Master Plan Part IV.

Global product rollouts and record regional performance

Tesla’s Q3 highlights revealed strong traction across multiple continents. In North America, the automaker launched the new Model 3 and Model Y Standard variants, each offering over 300 miles of range and starting below $40,000. The Model Y Performance also debuted, highlighting Tesla’s focus on sheer performance and driving dynamics.

In Europe and the Middle East, Model Y topped sales charts in Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Finland while reaching number one in the Netherlands and Denmark in September. Giga Berlin celebrated production of its 100,000th refreshed Model Y, including the first European-built Performance units. Tesla confirmed it’s working toward regulatory approval for its FSD Supervised software in Europe.

Across Asia-Pacific, Tesla introduced the Model YL in China, an extended wheelbase, six-seat version of its best-selling crossover SUV, and achieved record deliveries in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore. The company also began Model Y deliveries in India, launched FSD Supervised in Australia and New Zealand, and confirmed South Korea is now its third-largest global market.

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AI, charging, and energy divisions

Tesla’s AI division rolled out version 14 of FSD Supervised, integrating key elements of its Robotaxi model and improving responses to complex driving scenarios. The company expanded its Austin Robotaxi fleet and launched a Bay Area ride-hailing pilot while announcing a U.S. semiconductor manufacturing deal with Samsung to boost AI compute capacity.

Tesla also introduced Grok, an AI vehicle companion, alongside new vehicle software like Low Power Mode and Light Sync. The company also introduced minor but notable convenience improvements, such as the ability to order food directly from the vehicle at the Tesla Diner in LA.

Meanwhile, Tesla’s energy business achieved record storage deployments and revealed “Megablock,” a next-generation industrial product built around Megapack 3s, slated for production in Houston by 2026. The Superharger Network grew 18% year-over-year as well, adding over 3,500 Supercharger stalls and debuting V4 cabinets capable of 500 kW passenger charging and up to 1,200 kW for Tesla Semi trucks.

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