SPCX
TSLA
Golden era? More like golden paint job
Elon Musk is back on his favorite stage: the future. On Thursday, he said Tesla’s Cybercab is entering a “literal golden era of transport,” then reminded everyone that the vehicle is, indeed, gold. Subtlety remains optional.
The bigger investor nugget, though, is the rollout itself. Tesla’s Robotaxi account said Cybercab rides in Austin open to the public on Friday at 5 p.m. CT. That turns the product from vaporware-adjacent hype into something a lot more concrete: actual paying riders, actual roads, actual scrutiny.
Starlink in the back seat
Musk also said Cybercab will feature Starlink connectivity, with the promise that riders could stream 4K video while cruising around in the car. In other words, Tesla isn’t just pitching autonomous transport — it’s pitching autonomous transport with a better internet package than your hotel.
That matters because it suggests Tesla wants the Cybercab to feel less like a weird test mule and more like a premium mobile experience. If the autonomy works, the rest of the product story gets easier to sell.
The labor flex, and the valuation debate
Musk also tossed out a very Musk-y employment prediction: more than 30,000 workers at Tesla HQ and manufacturing in Austin by 2028. That’s the opposite of the layoff story hitting Uber, which just announced 3,300 cuts as it leans harder into autonomy.
For investors, this is the usual Tesla cocktail:
- a flashy product launch
- a bold autonomy narrative
- a giant question mark over timing, adoption, and profitability
The stock slipped 1.96% to $369 in overnight trading, which tells you the market is still in “show me” mode. Big picture: Tesla is trying to turn robotaxi dreams into an actual business. Now comes the hard part — proving the road is open, the tech works, and people will pay for the ride.