Wall Street Takes the Back Seat: JPMorgan’s Auto Chief Says Tesla’s Robotaxi Is ‘Solid’—Should Uber Be Nervous?
- Rebellionaire Staff
- 1 hour ago
- 2 min read
The Setup: Robotaxi in Austin
Tesla quietly rolled out its vision-only, all-camera autonomous Robotaxi fleet on June 22, 2025, in a limited invite-only pilot spot in Austin, Texas [1][2]. Think bolt‑on safety monitor in the passenger seat, flat fare, fuzzy boundaries on the map—standard early-stage rollout vibes.
JPMorgan Chimes In
So, Gold-star analyst Jose Asumendi took a full-day spin on one of these rides. What he felt? “Consistently smooth and safe.” No freak-outs, no close calls. Just a ride that didn't feel like he was on a death machine [3].
He flagged a big thing: for Robotaxi to really take off, it needs to run incident-free, reliably, and gather robust data on every inch of traffic and safety. If it nails that, Tesla can basically dictate new-car prices by riding the hype train of full autonomy [3].
But… It’s Not Perfect
Look, no one’s saying Tesla has cracked the code. Business Insider noted a slew of weird stuff: phantom braking, wrong‑way forays, remotes stepping in, weird routing delays [2]. Even if Asumendi didn’t hit anything jarring, the tech is still rocky.
Remember, these things are still level 2–3, not full-on autonomous. That safety person in the passenger seat isn’t just for show—they’re ready to yank control. And even then, the system occasionally messes up.
Why This Matters
Here’s the spicy part: Asumendi’s thumbs-up says something real. Wall Street doesn’t toss praises lightly—if a JPMorgan automotive lead is comfy enough to dial it “solid,” that sends a message. Combine that with Tesla’s self‑funding pricing power and you’ve got a recipe for shaking up the auto market [3][2].
But hype only goes so far. Tesla is still juggling public rollout with occasional drama—wrong‑way turns, weird stops, app glitches. Regulators (like NHTSA) are already poking around [1].
Real Talk: So, Should You Care?
Yep. We’re living in the early shots of what could be a major shift in transportation. If the tech holds and Tesla nails the execution—safety monitors gone solo before year-end—we might be looking at the future of ride‑hailing (sorry, Uber).
But—and this is a big but—disengagements are legit. The system isn’t flawless. So while JPMorgan’s guy rode in peace, millions of rides in real traffic might dump us into a very different reality. Let’s just say I’m cautiously curious.
The Bottom Line
Jose Asumendi (JPMorgan) rode the Robotaxi for a full day and said it was “certainly solid” and consistently felt safe [3].
Tesla’s Robotaxi launched June 22, Geek‑style tech in Austin, still using passenger safety supervisors [1].
BI’s reporting found issues: wrong‑way turns, phantom braking, remote takeovers—classic beta glitches [2].
If Tesla can scale incident-free rides, it could reshape car pricing and autonomy narrative.
So yeah, your rebellious, caffeinated friend says: this is spicy. Big moves, clear potential—but no one’s handing out medals yet. Keep your eyes on Austin—real self-driving isn’t coming, it’s arrived, but it hasn’t hit puberty yet. It's scrappy in some spots, but hey—it feels like the future.
Sources
[1] Wikipedia contributors. Tesla Robotaxi. Wikipedia. Retrieved July 22, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_Robotaxi
[2] Business Insider. (2025, July 19). I tried Tesla’s new Robotaxi. Here’s what it got right (and wrong). https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-robotaxi-experience-human-intervention-incidents-2025-7
[3] GuruFocus. (2025, July 22). Tesla (TSLA) Robotaxi Test in Austin Impresses Analyst. https://www.gurufocus.com/news/2992852/tesla-tsla-robotaxi-test-in-austin-impresses-analyst-tsla-stock-news