Elon Musk Just Doubled Down on Robotaxis, Optimus, and the End of Tesla as We Know It

Let’s get one thing straight—Elon Musk didn’t show up on CNBC to play defense.

On May 20, 2025, he rolled into not one, but two back-to-back interviews at Tesla HQ in Austin. One for Power Lunch, the other for Closing Bell: Overtime. And if you thought this was gonna be some sleepy quarterly recap, nah. Musk used this air time to basically say, “Traditional car biz? Cute. But we’re building the future here.”

So let’s break it down. No fluff. No PR spin. Just the real stuff.

The Robotaxis Are Coming. For Real This Time.

You’ve heard it before. We’ve all heard it before. Tesla robotaxis are always “just around the corner.” But this time? There's an actual date. Musk says Tesla's launching a real robotaxi fleet in Austin starting June 2025.

Ten cars. One city. Week one. Then scaling fast—20, 30, 40 cars a week—until they hit 1,000 rolling bots in just a few months. It's cautious, sure. But if you're in Austin and you suddenly see three Teslas cruising down South Congress with no one in the driver's seat... that’s not your hangover talking.

They’re real. They're live. And they're being measured by one simple thing: no interventions. If the cars don’t need human babysitting, that’s a win. Not flashy dashboards. Not tweets. Just, “Did the car drive itself like a grown-up?”

Also worth noting: California regulators? Not making it easy. Musk gave a subtle jab there. So, yes to expansion—but don’t hold your breath for SF or LA just yet.

Automotive Sales? Meh. Autonomy? That’s the Game.

Tesla’s Q1 2025 numbers weren’t exactly a flex. Down 50,000 units. 20% drop in auto revenue. A whole global shutdown just to retool for the next-gen Model Y.

But Musk didn’t even flinch. Why? Because in his head, selling cars is already old news. He’s thinking five chess moves ahead—and it all centers on two things:

Robotaxis and Optimus.

Yes, that Optimus—the humanoid robot that’s been quietly getting smarter in the background while everyone’s been yelling about Cybertruck door panels. Musk said it flat out: Tesla’s long-term financial future is gonna be “overwhelmingly dominated” by autonomy and robots. Not EVs. Not even energy. Optimus and FSD are the main characters now.

Tesla’s New Business Model = Airbnb + Uber + Skynet?

Musk didn’t just drop hype. He outlined the vision.

You can either:

1. Let Tesla run its own robotaxi fleet, or

2. Add your personal Tesla to the network and let it make money while you’re sleeping, working, or binge-watching Netflix.

So your Model 3 becomes a side hustle. And if it earns more than your lease payment? You’re basically being paid to own a Tesla.

That’s the pitch. Autonomy unlocks a whole new business model. Uber without the overhead. Airbnb with wheels. A passive income stream powered by AI.

Kinda wild, yeah? But also... very on brand.

Optimus: The Robot You’ll Eventually Want More Than a New iPhone

Let’s talk robots.

Musk said the demand for Optimus will be “insatiable.” He compared it to when smartphones first dropped, except this time it walks, grabs things, and maybe does your laundry.

And the best part? Tesla’s already going full throttle. Still buying GPUs like there’s a global graphics card apocalypse coming—loading up from both NVIDIA and AMD to fuel their AI training.

Forget humanoid robots being some far-off fantasy. Musk is saying we’re on the edge of a real industrial revolution. This time, it walks upright and plugs itself in.

Musk the CEO? Not Going Anywhere.

There’s always speculation. “Will Elon pull a Larry Ellison and fade into the background?” Not likely.

He basically swatted that idea away like a fly. Said he’s staying on as Tesla’s CEO and still sees himself as a “hands-on” guy. And honestly? You believe him. Say what you will about Elon, but the guy’s not dialing it in.

Also, no merger with xAI on the table, at least for now. Separate lanes, separate plays. Even if the endgame all loops back to autonomy, AI, and… Star Trek?

Yup. He said it. His vision for AI? Avoid the dystopia and build something closer to a Star Trek future. Hopeful. Cooperative. Clean uniforms, maybe.

So… Why Should You Care?

Because this wasn’t just a CEO doing damage control on sagging sales numbers. This was a pivot speech. A manifesto.

Elon is drawing a line: Tesla’s not a car company anymore. It’s an AI robotics company that happens to sell cars while building the world’s biggest autonomous network.

Think about that.

He’s betting the entire future of the company—not on how many cars they move, but on how well they execute autonomy. If they nail it? Tesla becomes the platform that runs your robotaxi, your robot assistant, your entire post-capitalist productivity suite.

And if they don’t? Well, then it’s just another car company with slipping margins.

Final Thought

This wasn’t a hype interview. It was a stakes-raising moment. Musk looked

straight at the camera and basically said:

“You’re focused on the wrong scoreboard. We’re not playing to win Q2. We’re playing to win the decade.”

Will they pull it off?

We’ll find out. But if you're still evaluating Tesla like it's Toyota with a twist… you’re not just looking in the wrong direction.

You’re playing the wrong game.