Elon Musk Predicts ‘Hundreds of Thousands’ Of Self-Driving Teslas By Late 2026 Following June Robotaxi Launch

Tesla, Inc. CEO Elon Musk says he expects “hundreds of thousands” of self-driving vehicles made by his electric vehicle company on the road by the end of 2026. 

The ambitious target hinges on the upcoming launch of Tesla’s robotaxi service, which will begin next month in Austin.

In an interview with CNBC’s David Faber at Tesla’s headquarters, Musk said the pilot program will start with around 10 vehicles and could quickly scale into the thousands if early tests go smoothly. 

Following the Austin launch, Tesla plans to expand to other major cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco.

According to Musk, Tesla is also “very much open” to licensing its Full Self-Driving (FSD) software to other automakers.

Asked whether robotaxis would be widespread in five years, Musk responded with a confident “Yes” — reaffirming a vision he has touted since 2016, when he first claimed Tesla was a year away from fully autonomous driving.

The billionaire entrepreneur also pushed for national self-driving regulation, as there were inconsistencies from state to state.

Despite ongoing delays and scrutiny over Tesla’s FSD system, Musk again said the company’s long-term future depends not on car sales but on autonomy and robotics. 

He described demand for Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robot as potentially “insatiable.”

Musk also said he wants enough control at Tesla to avoid being ousted by activist investors. 

He added that a merger with his artificial intelligence startup xAI is “not out of the question,” though it’s not currently being planned and would require shareholder approval.

Tesla stock is down more than 11% year-to-date.  

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