Part 2/14:
Earlier assumptions centered on Tesla expanding aggressively within Austin, aiming to rapidly deploy 2,000 or more robo taxis shortly after gaining regulatory approval. This approach relied heavily on Austin serving as the flagship city, demonstrating Tesla’s AV capabilities before moving on to other markets. Under this model, scale would be achieved vertically—focusing intensively on one city at a time, quickly reaching a significant fleet size to validate and showcase the technology’s commercial viability.