Last Chance Robotaxi: Elon Musk's Bet on the Autonomous Miracle – His Fate Depends on It
After Elon Musk has been touting his fully autonomous cars for a decade, the launch is finally set to happen in June. It could be the last chance to save his brand.
Just a few years ago, Elon Musk was considered an untouchable visionary. A man who commercialized space, brought electric mobility to the mass market, and put fear into the auto industry with Tesla. Today, there seems to be little left of that.
If Musk doesn't revolutionize again, he will be marginalized
Sales figures are plummeting, his products are disappointing, his reputation is in tatters – and all this at a time when he is embarking on a project that symbolizes his ambitions like no other idea: autonomous driving .
In June, Musk plans to launch a robotaxi service in Houston. Autonomous. Electric. And, of course, groundbreaking. But the US regulatory agency NHTSA has concerns about the vehicles' safety. This is despite the fact that the "Doge" agency, led by Musk, fired the NHTSA employees responsible for overseeing autonomous vehicles in the spring.
While Musk is planning his comeback and, according to his own statement, wants to put almost 20 Cybercabs on the road, the competitors' vehicles have long been on the road.
Waymo, the robotaxi service of Google sister company Alphabet, now records around 250,000 rides per week – with official approval, in several US cities.
Tesla, on the other hand? No approved service, no operation, just announcements.
And that's not the only problem. The latest sales figures from Europe show just how much trouble Tesla is in. In Germany, registrations plummeted by 45 percent in April 2025. Only 885 vehicles were sold, including 639 Model Y and 234 Model 3.
In other countries, the situation is even bleaker: down 81 percent in Sweden, down 74 percent in the Netherlands, and down 67 percent in Denmark. The Model Y, once considered invincible, is now being thwarted by Chinese competitors like BYD and MG. Tesla's European sales model has faltered.
Meanwhile, the Cybertruck is evolving from a prestige project into an embarrassing debacle. The aggressively designed futuristic icon is already being recalled in the US. Problems with acceleration, sudden roll-away, and massive manufacturing defects have led Tesla to recall tens of thousands of vehicles.
Production could stall for months. A vehicle intended to symbolize Musk's drive for innovation now represents his arrogance.
Added to this is the damage to his image that is almost impossible to conceal. Musk's political escapades, his flirtation with right-wing conspiracy theorists, his outbursts on X (formerly Twitter) – all of this has isolated him internationally.
In the US, liberals are turning away; in Europe, he has lost his role as the clean slate of electromobility. And while his companies were once considered pioneers of the future, they now smack of regression. A toxic combination of arrogance and technological stagnation.
Against this backdrop, the planned robotaxi service seems like a desperate attempt to liberate itself . Musk knows he has to deliver. Not only because Tesla desperately needs a new growth story, but because he needs one himself.
Autonomous driving has always been his holy grail, the goal that should overshadow all other failures. If he succeeds, Musk could truly make history again. But the window of opportunity is closing fast. Waymo, Cruise, and other competitors are not only more advanced technically, they are better positioned in terms of regulation, they have operational experience, and they are delivering.
If Musk fails in this last big bet, not only will his reputation be at stake. Tesla also faces a fate that would be particularly bitter for a visionary like him: becoming irrelevant.
Because the electric vehicle market is now driven by others. VW, Hyundai, BYD, Nio – they have all overtaken Musk, partly in terms of technology, partly in terms of brand management. If Musk doesn't revolutionize things again, he will be marginalized.
businessinsider
