Elon Musk Sees 'Money-Making Opportunity' As Market Bets On Odds Of Tesla Robotaxi Launch Before July

Elon Musk fueled fresh speculation over Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions on Friday, calling a wager on a near-term launch a “money-making opportunity” in response to Polymarket odds showing a 14% chance of deployment by the end of June. 

The comment sent odds soaring to 45%, according to the prediction platform.

Tesla has begun testing a 10-vehicle robotaxi pilot program in Austin, Texas, which uses the new Full Self-Driving computer and operates within geo-fenced areas.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company is targeting June 22 to begin public robotaxi rides in Austin, though the timeline remains tentative. 

In a post on X, Musk shared a video showing a driverless Model Y marked “Robotaxi” navigating city streets, followed closely by a second Tesla vehicle. 

He confirmed on May 28 that Tesla had started testing vehicles without a driver on public roads in Austin.

The pilot service has drawn scrutiny from Texas lawmakers. 

A bipartisan group has called for a delay of Tesla's launch until Sept. 1 to ensure that the state's new autonomous vehicle regulations, which require a permit, a safety plan, and a procedure to work with emergency services, take effect. 

These new rules will increase the amount of oversight implemented, in light of concerns raised after some adverse incidents in self-driving cars.

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for TSLA was ‘bearish’ amid ‘low’ message volume.

Tesla's push into self-driving technology comes as the broader autonomous vehicle market gains traction. Alphabet’s Waymo announced this week that it is expanding its service areas in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. 

For Tesla, the milestone also marks a pivotal step in Musk’s strategy to position the company at the forefront of autonomy and artificial intelligence. Bullish analysts have labeled it a "watershed moment" as the EV maker looks to move past brand damage tied to Musk’s political involvement in the Trump administration.

However, some watchers have warned that any high-profile robotaxi accident would trigger a "violent downside" for Tesla's stock.

TSLA stock has declined 15.1% so far in 2025.

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