News
Waymo considers selling robotaxis to individual owners
Tesla currently offers its Supervised Full Self-Driving to owners of its vehicles, while Waymo is the only company operating paid autonomous ride-hails at this point.
Alphabet-owned robotaxi company Waymo is mulling over the possibility of selling self-driving vehicles to individual owners in the future, as highlighted last week by the Google parent company’s head executive.
On Thursday, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai said during the company’s first-quarter earnings update that Waymo would maintain selling self-driving vehicles to individuals as an option in the future, according to a report from Reuters. Pichai didn’t disclose any specifics about the potential to do so or a timeline, though he noted that “there is future optionality for personal ownership.”
Waymo currently operates over 700 self-driving vehicles, 300 of which are operating in San Francisco, and it’s the only company to operate a paid self-driving ride-hailing service as of yet.
The statement comes as Tesla and other companies aim to launch their own commercial robotaxi services, and while the electric vehicle (EV) giant already sells its Supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) software to individual owners. Additionally, Tesla aims to launch an Unsupervised version in the coming months.
Waymo launched in Austin in January in a unique partnership with Uber, while its self-driving ride-hailing vehicles in California run through its in-house ride-hailing app, Waymo One. It has opened the app to the public in multiple areas of Los Angeles and in cities surrounding and including San Francisco. The company also dropped the need to sign up for a waitlist to use the service in Los Angeles in November, after doing so in the Bay Area earlier that year.
The Alphabet-owned firm also started initial testing in Japan earlier this month, marking the company’s first time in an international market.
Waymo is setting the stage for its rollout in Tokyo. 🇯🇵
Have you experienced a ride in Waymo's self-driving robotaxis?pic.twitter.com/V7lQf1CMjD
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) April 10, 2025
READ MORE ON WAYMO’S ROBOTAXIS: Here’s where Waymo is launching autonomous robotaxis next
Tesla is targeting a launch its first commercial robotaxis and Unsupervised FSD around Austin in June, and CEO Elon Musk reiterated this goal during the company’s Q1 earnings call on Tuesday. When asked about how Tesla expected its commercial robotaxi services would compete with Waymo, which is already operating paid driverless rides in multiple cities, Musk highlighted how costly the company’s cars are to produce:
The issue with Waymo’s cars is it costs way more money, but that is the issue. The car is very expensive, made in low volume. Teslas probably cost 25 percent or 20 percent of what a Waymo costs, and are made in very high volume.
So, ironically, we’re the ones to make the bet that a pure AI solution with cameras, and what do you have? The car actually will listen for sirens and that kind of thing. It’s the right move.
And Waymo decided that an expensive sensor suite is the way to go, even though Google is very good at AI.
Musk also went on to predict that Tesla would eventually capture at least 90 percent of the robotaxi market, or potentially as much as 99 percent, with millions of cars on the road that are already able to run FSD.
He also highlights that Tesla’s vehicles at both the Gigafactory in Austin, Texas and the Fremont, California plant can drive themselves fully autonomously from the end of the production line to the outbound lot. Musk also said that he was “confident” that the first Model Y units to drive themselves to the customer will take place later this year, from both the Fremont and Austin factories.
Ex-Waymo CEO dismisses Tesla, Cybercab: “They’re a car company with a driver-assist system”
SpaceX announced today that it would expand its launch capabilities into a new U.S. state: Louisiana.
Today, SpaceX, in conjunction with the Louisiana Economic Development Office, said that it will establish a new launch facility, which it will call Starbase, Louisiana. It will be located near Vermilion Parish, supporting thousands of launches each year, at least eventually.
CEO Elon Musk commented by stating, “Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!”
Starbase Louisiana will ultimately have over a dozen launch towers, enabling more than 30 Starship flights per day and making it the biggest launch site on Earth!
SpaceX makes sci-fi real. https://t.co/C7Ht0U12ba
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 25, 2026
The expansion is SpaceX’s latest move to push its launch cadence to be more frequent than ever. SpaceX said that Starbase, Louisiana, will be built to “support thousands of Starship flights a year,” with the first coming in 2029.
SpaceX announced the new facility in partnership with the Louisiana Economic Development Office as it will bring a major influx of jobs and investments into the area. Currently, it will produce more than 3,000 new jobs in Louisiana, and SpaceX plans to invest at least $100 billion into the entire facility, ensuring that many jobs are created as a result.
Environmental Responsibility
SpaceX acknowledges the impact launches could have on marshlands, local wildlife, and water sources. Here’s how the company plans to help with the issues in Vermilion Parish:
- Restoring the Shoreline: “In Vermilion Parish, the shoreline is eroding between 3.3 and 23 feet per year. We’re partnering with state and federal agencies to expand Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan and Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act projects, including Gulf shoreline protection breakwaters designed to reduce wave energy and slow loss along the Gulf edge.”
- Rebuilding the Marshlands: “In working with the state, we’re planning thousands of acres of marsh creation using beneficial-use placement of dredged material and offshore sediment sources. Restoration will also include interior marsh bank stabilization and rebuilding marsh in remnant canals. These projects can reconnect fragmented wetlands, restore natural buffers against storms, and return habitat that has been lost to erosion and historic canalization.”
- Preserving Coastal Wildlife: “Pecan Island and nearby wetlands are high-value habitat for migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, and other coastal wildlife. SpaceX is not developing the full footprint of the land and will preserve wetlands and wildlife habitat. At existing launch sites, waterfowl and other birds continue to use nearby habitat during operations. Working with wildlife agencies, landowners, and conservation groups, SpaceX will support monitoring and management so this habitat stays productive and hunting, fishing, birding, and other recreational activities that are part of this coast’s culture can continue.”
SpaceX shares rose about 2.5 percent on the news.
Tesla Cybertruck trims saw a big price change, at least on two of the three available to consumers, as demand for the all-electric pickup appears to be increasing.
Tesla bumped up its Base All-Wheel-Drive trim level up to $74,990 from $69,990 and the Premium All-Wheel-Drive configuration from $79,990 to $84,990. The Cyberbeast price remains unchanged at $99,990.
🚨 Cybertruck prices went up as Tesla bumped them 7%
– Tesla Cybertruck AWD is now $74,990
– Tesla Cybertruck Premium AWD now $84,990
– Tesla Cyberbeast now $99,990 https://t.co/MYJbaw56GL— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) August 25, 2026
Despite questions of demand for the truck, Tesla is bumping its two least expensive trims up $5,000 to signal that there are plenty of buyers. Although SpaceX has been buying Tesla Cybertruck units to utilize as company vehicles, it is no secret that the Cybertruck is among the most sought-after Tesla models out there.
The issue has always been pricing, at least for the most part. When Tesla initially launched the Cybertruck AWD at $59,990 a few months back, the company stated that price would remain intact for just ten days due to the influx of orders it received.
Cybertruck Sales: Is It the Product or Pricing?
Depending on who you ask, you will likely hear one of two explanations for relatively low Cybertruck sales: either the product itself or the pricing.
Yes, this is the best-selling all-electric pickup on the market. However, there are people who simply hate the look of it, which I understand, but do not agree with. Look is totally subjective, and I love the look of the Cybertruck.
Some people will not buy the Cybertruck because of the look, but I am under the impression that sales would be much better if this truck were priced lower; something that might not be possible considering Tesla’s need to make money on its products. When it was unveiled in 2019, its most expensive trim level was $69,990. Now, the cheapest trim level is more expensive than that.
I would be in a Cybertruck if it were more affordable. I LOVE my Model Y, but Cybertruck is the best vehicle Tesla makes, and it’s not particularly close. Even in the base model, the steer-by-wire, the space, storage, and performance make it more desirable than the Model Y to me. I cannot be the only Tesla owner without a Cybertruck who feels this way.
If you’re interested in buying a Tesla vehicle, use my referral link.
Energy
Tesla Semi factory is getting a celebration nobody expected
Tesla will inaugurate its Nevada Semi factory September 24, five months after production quietly began ramping.
Tesla says it will officially inaugurate its new Semi factory in Nevada next month. The Tesla Semi account posted the announcement on X, sharing a graphic titled “Semi Rollout” with a date of September 24. No further details were given about the format of the event or who would attend.
While Tesla’s dedicated Semi plant in Sparks, adjacent to Gigafactory Nevada, opened back in April, with the first trucks rolling off the high volume line on April 29, the timing for the factory inauguration comes at a surprise. The ribbon cutting event five months into production is a break from how Tesla has usually handled its other factories, where the first truck or car off the line typically served as the milestone moment.
Inauguration of new Semi factory in Nevada next month pic.twitter.com/a8kAlxrOOn
— Tesla Semi (@tesla_semi) August 24, 2026
The 1.7 million square foot factory was built as part of a $3.6 billion expansion Tesla announced in early 2023, and it shares a site with the battery cell lines that feed the Semi’s structural pack, a decision meant to remove the supply bottleneck that delayed the truck for years. The plant is designed for 50,000 trucks a year at full ramp. Semi program director Dan Priestley has said production “is now ramping” rather than claiming it has reached scale.
Nine years passed between the Semi’s 2017 unveiling and this stage of production, with the truck slipping from an original 2019 target through hand built pilot units for PepsiCo and a slow build out of the Nevada plant. An inauguration event now gives Tesla a stage to talk up that ramp and reset expectations for how many trucks it can begin delivering at scale.
The September date also lines up with the Semi’s next milestone. Tesla confirmed the truck is heading to Europe with a full unveiling at the IAA Transportation trade show in Hannover, Germany, running September 15 through 20. Between the Nevada event and the Hannover reveal, Tesla has roughly a week and a half in September to make the case that the Semi is now a truck being built and sold on two continents rather than tested in a handful of fleets.
SpaceX announces new Starbase for ‘thousands of Starship launches annually’
Tesla just made Cybertruck more expensive
