December 16, 2025 – Tesla’s stock price soared as much as 4.9% on Monday, reaching an intraday high of $481.37 and nearing its all-time record, following confirmation from CEO Elon Musk that the company has begun testing fully driverless robotaxis with no occupants in Austin, Texas.
The rally reflects growing investor excitement over Tesla’s progress in autonomous driving technology. Musk confirmed over the weekend that “testing is underway with no occupants in the car,” marking a significant step forward from earlier phases where human safety monitors were required in the passenger seat.
Tesla launched its limited robotaxi service in Austin in June 2025 using modified Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Initial operations were geo-fenced and included safety monitors, but the removal of all human oversight during testing signals increased confidence in the system’s reliability.
Analysts viewed the development positively. Seth Goldstein, senior equity analyst at Morningstar, noted that the unsupervised testing aligns with expectations set during Tesla’s third-quarter earnings call, stating, “The market is cheering the progress.”
This milestone comes as Tesla prepares for broader deployment, including the upcoming Cybercab purpose-built robotaxi expected in 2026. Investors are betting on accelerated scaling of driverless operations, potentially unlocking new revenue streams in ride-hailing.
While Tesla’s core business remains electric vehicle sales, a substantial portion of its $1.5 trillion-plus market valuation is tied to optimism around self-driving technology and robotics. The stock closed the day higher, underscoring the market’s focus on Tesla’s autonomous future.
Stay tuned to VFutureMedia.com for the latest updates on Tesla robotaxi developments, autonomous driving advancements, Full Self-Driving progress, Cybercab news, and innovative mobility solutions.
Keywords: Tesla stock surge, Tesla robotaxi driverless testing, Tesla shares record high, Elon Musk robotaxi Austin, Tesla autonomous driving progress, Tesla FSD unsupervised, Cybercab robotaxi, Tesla stock news 2025.
Leave a Comment