Veteran Tesla analyst makes boldest robotaxi call yet | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

The closer we get to Tesla’s (TSLA) robotaxi debut on Sunday, the hotter things get.

Though it’s been patchy, Tesla bulls would argue we’re finally getting close to what could be a watershed moment for the business.

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Analysts have been talking up Tesla’s self-driving game for a while.

Few have built a serious reputation on bold, on-point calls. Now, one veteran bull just upped the ante on the robotaxi event, calling this the potential start of Tesla’s “golden era of autonomous.”

Tesla stock gets a jolt as veteran bull makes bold robotaxi call

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Tesla’s robotaxi rollout hits a few speed bumps

Truth be told, Tesla’s robotaxi rollout turned out bumpier than expected.

After Tesla’s maverick CEO, Elon Musk, teased an Austin debut in May, things have proven rather rocky.

Just yesterday, a band of seven Texas lawmakers called on the EV giant to pump the brakes on its trials until September’s tougher AV rules to kick in.

Then there’s the safety concern, which adds another layer to the dynamic.

In mid-June, a Cybertruck prototype drifted into oncoming traffic while on FSD. Days later, a Tesla Model 3 stalled on train tracks, getting clipped in the process.

These hurdles and fresh incidents suggest the vision-only autonomy might still be brittle. Meanwhile, Tesla’s robotaxi competition in the likes of Waymo and Cruise continues chugging along in geofenced zones.

These companies have taken a more cautious route with safety drivers and slow expansions.

Tesla, on the other hand, appears to be going full throttle, relying heavily on its massive owner fleet and Musk’s no-brakes style.

For now, though, hiccups have weighed down Tesla’s stock price, which has settled back into the low $320s.

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Nevertheless, Tesla has repeatedly proved the naysayers wrong, and it’s operating in what could become a multi-billion-dollar market.

Grand View Research estimates the global robotaxi market at $1.95 billion last year, potentially soaring to $43.76 billion by 2030 (a staggering 73.5% CAGR from 2025).

Dan Ives of Wedbush takes Tesla’s self-driving hype to a whole new level.

In an X post today, the veteran tech analyst deemed Sunday’s robotaxi rollout in Austin “the golden era of autonomous” for Tesla.

He feels this chapter could be the biggest in Tesla’s rich history, tipping its AI roadmap as a potential $1 trillion valuation boost over the coming years.

To put things in perspective, that’s double the stock’s current worth at around $1.1 trillion.

Ives sees the event as a high-stakes test of autonomy at scale.

If the technology can effectively live up to the hype, investors could be looking at a paradigm shift in both ride-hailing and Tesla’s market positioning.

Even though the initial fleet may seem relatively modest (20 Model Ys), Ives believes a quick ramp to some 25 U.S. cities over the next year is possible.

Moreover, he lauded Tesla’s unmatched scale, including its massive fleet, global footprint, and deep data trove. Also, beyond operating its network, Ives feels Tesla could license its Full Self-Driving stack to traditional automotive players, opening up a huge, long-term revenue stream.

Sure, there are likely to be some speed bumps.

These include tricky regs, politics, and a race towards full autonomy. However, Ives still sees Tesla as having the competitive edge due to its software muscle, hardware control, and deep pockets.

It’s important to note that Dan Ives has been a Tesla bull for years, even through the rough patches. He’s voiced his support for the stock, stating that his “longstanding bull view of Tesla remains”.

Wedbush maintains an ‘Outperform’ rating on Tesla stock with a lofty price target of $500. This target represents a whopping 55% upside to the stock’s current price, which is hovering near the $321.3 mark.