Part 7/14:
Several indications point to Tesla prioritizing autonomous driving and robotaxi networks over traditional vehicle sales. Reports from sources like Electric and Reuters suggest the originally announced $25,000 “Model 2” vehicle—the smaller, affordable car—has been deferred or put on hold. The project, known as NV9, appears to have been defunded or deprioritized in favor of advancing Tesla’s full self-driving (FSD) capabilities and robo taxi ecosystem.
Musk recently confirmed that Tesla intends to unveil a robo taxi on August 8th, aligning with a broader corporate strategy to pivot from hardware-centric growth to software-driven scaling. This transition involves significant investments in data centers and AI infrastructure, necessary to support autonomous fleet operations.