45 Handle-less Cybercabs Registered in Texas

Tesla's closing price reached $367.95, up 5.51%. SpaceX also closed up 1.55% at $143.69.

This contrasts with the same day's performance where the S&P dropped 0.33%, the Dow declined 0.7%, and the Nasdaq fell 0.12%, with all three major indices decreasing.

A Cybercab launch event is scheduled for September 3rd in Austin, US time, followed by the grand opening of the Tesla Semi factory in Sparks, Nevada, on September 24th.

International oil prices are surging following news of a launcher strike in Iran, the first such incident since late July. West Texas Intermediate crude oil for October delivery rose 3.48%.

The escalating tanker crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-third of global oil supply passes, has disrupted crude oil supply routes. This is analyzed as one of the main reasons for the decline in all three major indices.

SpaceX has officially confirmed it is building a gas turbine component casting factory in Bastrop, Texas. This factory will directly manufacture blades and vanes, key components of gas turbines.

This strategy appears to be aimed at resolving supply chain bottlenecks, which can last up to 18 months, and internalizing advanced metal forming technologies using vacuum furnaces.

Most media outlets are citing the start of Optimus production as the reason for today's Tesla stock surge. However, news of Optimus production beginning in Fremont was already announced around August 27th, US time, not today.

In fact, Tesla's stock actually fell 1.71% when the announcement was made on August 27th. Tesla did not make any official announcements regarding Optimus production today.

Tesla announced that this update has increased the geofence boundary where robotaxis can provide services by approximately 9%. New service areas include North Domain, Mesa Park, and Pflugerville.

These areas are characterized by high residential standards and concentrated commercial facilities, suggesting high demand for robotaxi services.

The Highway 183 corridor extending north of Austin is a section with concentrated commuter demand. This corridor has been considered a particularly difficult challenge for autonomous vehicles.

Tesla robotaxis successfully operating in this section signifies a major advancement in autonomous driving technology.

Tesla's AI, Grok, has changed its nature with this update. It is now possible to change air conditioner temperature or operate headlights via voice commands.

Furthermore, Grok can now understand multiple commands given in a single sentence. This is expected to play a crucial role in communication with occupants in autonomous vehicles without steering wheels.

A total of 314 vehicles are registered under the Tesla Robotaxi name in the Texas state registry. Of these, 269 are Model Ys, and 45 new Cybercabs have now been registered.

The registration of Cybercabs for the first time signifies the official deployment of robotaxi-specific vehicles without steering wheels and pedals.

The registration of 45 Cybercabs in the Texas registry is highly significant because it means Tesla has now officially documented vehicles capable of generating service revenue based on operating hours, moving beyond one-time sales-centric revenue.

This heralds a fundamental change in Tesla's corporate valuation criteria and suggests its potential evolution from merely a car-selling company to a service platform.

Tesla's registration of 45 Cybercabs holds meaning beyond simply increasing the number of vehicles. The core point is that concrete evidence has emerged showing Tesla is actually launching its robotaxi business.

Since this is not just a statement from Elon Musk but an official registration in a state government document, this solid data is analyzed as a major factor driving Tesla's stock price today.

Around August 20th, JP Morgan released a memo after a tour of the Fremont factory, noting that Tesla was intentionally not deploying Model Ys for robotaxis and that Tesla's choice not to increase robotaxi numbers was surprising. This created a stir.

However, the registration of 45 Cybercabs prompts a reinterpretation of JP Morgan's analysis. This suggests that Tesla might have been making a strategic choice to prioritize Cybercab deployment over short-term stock price boosting.

Tesla is now shifting from making promises on stage and delivering products later to building products first and then holding official events. This can be seen in the case of the Tesla Semi factory grand opening in Sparks, Nevada, on September 24th.

This reversed order is similar to what Apple has long done. This is interpreted as Tesla's attempt to significantly reduce the gap between product announcements and actual deliveries.

Elon Musk has publicly stated that consumers will be able to purchase Cybercabs for under $30,000 (approximately 41 million Korean Won). This statement has caused much controversy.

Renowned tech YouTuber Marques Brownlee countered that a launch below $30,000 is impossible within two years, considering autonomous driving regulations and inflation. Prediction markets also estimate a low probability of around 18% for a sub-$30,000 launch.

Elon Musk even used the phrase 'getting paid to own a Tesla.' This suggests that the Tesla robotaxi business is most similar to a franchise model.

Tesla headquarters focuses on autonomous driving model training and validation, vehicle design and manufacturing, and app design to attract customers. Franchisees, on the other hand, invest initial capital to purchase vehicles, handle charging and loan repayments, and share in the revenue.

This model, which combines aspects of Uber and Airbnb to build a 'Tesla Network,' is interpreted as a strategy to expand the business by leveraging owner investments instead of the company bearing all capital burdens directly, unlike Waymo.