TSLA rose one percent late Sunday after CEO Elon Musk centered the Optimus humanoid robot and Cybercab robotaxi as the primary drivers of Tesla's long-term valuation. The stock had declined seven percent last week.
Musk stated on X that "Optimus and Cybercab will be the vast majority of Tesla's value," identifying superintelligence, robots, solar power and space transport as businesses capable of reaching extraordinary economic scale. He noted that advancements in robots and superintelligence enable progress in those other areas.
Musk's comments followed Tesla's recent Roadster unveiling, which included autonomous demonstrations featuring cold-gas thrusters that briefly lifted and flipped the vehicle. Despite centering Optimus and Cybercab in Tesla's future, Musk acknowledged the Roadster's appeal: "But Roadster is super cool, so we're doing it anyway."
Moreover, Musk claimed the Roadster could reach a peak speed of 0.5 Mach, or roughly 400 mph, exceeding the current top speed of 230 mph. He asserted it will outperform Formula 1 cars even without rocket thrusters.
Moreningstar views the Roadster as a "halo car" highlighting Tesla's engineering prowess and believes it could stimulate demand across Tesla's broader vehicle lineup. The firm forecasts the Roadster will support increased deliveries once production begins in 2028.
Moreningstar projects fewer than 2,000 annual Roadster deliveries after production ramps up, making it Tesla's lowest-volume vehicle. The firm cited Tesla's claimed 0-to-60 mph acceleration of 0.81 seconds. If verified at a racetrack, this would be less than half the current record of 1.66 seconds.
Investor and author Chris Camillo highlighted Musk's willingness to risk public failure on a product with limited financial upside. "Almost no CEO would willingly expose their company to that kind of public humiliation for a product with so little financial upside. Elon did," Camillo said on X.
Camillo suggested Musk's influence on future founders could surpass any direct financial impact from Tesla's products. "Whether the Roadster ever makes Tesla a dollar or impacts $TSLA stock price is almost beside the point," he said. "We need more people willing to risk failure in pursuit of things the rest of us think are impossible. Because when they succeed we all win."
TSLA traded at $354.72, down 2.1 percent on the day.
