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Key Takeaways
- Elon Musk used Tesla’s third-quarter conference call to renew his contention that next-generation businesses and AI will be the key drivers of the company’s future value.
- “People just don’t quite appreciate the degree to which this will take off,” he said of Tesla’s full self driving technology.
Elon Musk wants investors to know Tesla is an AI company.
The CEO told investors on the company’s earnings call Wednesday that Tesla (TSLA) is at a “critical inflection point” as it shifts its focus toward “real-world” applications of AI, including self-driving cars and smart robots. The company had earlier said its third-quarter electric vehicle deliveries reached a global record high.
Musk has long pointed to Tesla’s next-generation businesses as the drivers of its next phase of growth—he has said Tesla stands to become the world’s most-valuable company—and he leaned into that today.
“People just don’t quite appreciate the degree to which this will take off,” Musk said of Tesla’s full-self driving software, calling it a coming “shock wave” to transportation. Tesla said its FSD adoption has reached about 12% of Tesla’s installed fleet of vehicles, leaving significant room for growth. Once people can text and do other things the entire time they’re riding Tesla vehicles, Musk said, “anyone who can buy the car will buy the car.”
Musk said he expects no safety drivers will be needed in the company’s robotaxis in large parts of Austin by the end of this year, with plans to expand them to as many as 10 more American metros, beyond Austin and San Francisco, by year’s end.
But the company biggest application of “real world” AI could be in its humanoid robots, executives said.
Why This Matters to Tesla Investors
A bet on Tesla’s shares is in large part a bet on Elon Musk and his ability to make his vision reality. Musk frequently uses opportunities like the company’s quarterly conference calls to restate that vision in a bid to re-energize investors. This time, there’s something else at stake: a vote, set for early next month, on a big proposed pay package for Musk.
Tesla is “on the cusp of something really tremendous with Optimus,” Tesla’s humanoid robot, Musk told investors. Musk said he expects the company could unveil a new version of Optimus in the first quarter.
The robot, which Musk has previously suggested he believes could become the “biggest product ever, of any kind,” and come to drive over 80% of Tesla’s value, represents its next big phase of growth and bet on AI, CFO Vaibhav Taneja said.
Shares of Tesla were down about 3% in after-hours trading following the call and earnings that slightly missed estimates, as the company said it faced higher costs from restructuring and investments in AI. They were up roughly 9% for 2025 through today’s close.
Musk on Wednesday railed against proxy advisory firms ISS and Glass Lewis, which recently urged investors to vote against a proposed pay package amid worries it could be too dilutive, as “corporate terrorists.” A vote on that proposal is set for early next month.
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