Tesla robotaxis spark mixed reactions in Austin
Tesla's much-publicized robotaxi service recently began — but only in one neighborhood in Austin, Texas, only for a select group of the company's fans and only with a Tesla employee in the front passenger seat.
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Miami Herald
37 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Veteran Tesla bull drops surprising 3-word verdict on robotaxi ride
Well, Tesla (TSLA) and its robotaxi saga just got even more interesting. For what felt like forever, Elon Musk's been banging the drum on Tesla's ride-or-die robotaxi plan, the next big moneymaker. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter We finally got the big reveal on Sunday, bringing much-needed relief for Tesla bulls. So far, the reaction has been mostly mixed, with both Wall Street and early users split on what to make of it. Nevertheless, a veteran Tesla bull says Wall Street's got it all wrong, potentially setting it up for a major spark that sends the stock soaring. After years of Musk promising a self-driving future, the robotaxi finally hit the streets of Austin on Sunday. Well, sort of. The service is live only in a small, geofenced slice of Austin during set hours. That's far from the 24/7, coast-to-coast network Musk has long hyped. On top of that, each Model Y had a Tesla safety driver onboard, ready to take over in a jiffy. Nonetheless, early riders were mostly impressed. They said the cabin felt chill and the rides were smooth, despite the testing turns and rough patches. Also, they praised the app, which made it super easy to book, track, and hop out. Related: Tesla's robotaxi finally launches, but there's a twist Most folks felt the experience was "normal," with the car navigating similarly to a human driver. It's far from the robotaxi revolution Musk promised, but a working step in that direction. Musk has long hyped robotaxis as Tesla's next cash cow. The goal is to turn idle Tesla cars into money-minting machines with a city-wide self-driving fleet. Behind the curtain, Musk is talking "thousands" of robotaxis in months and a million by 2026. Still, there have been multiple tough moments since the launch. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating clips showing one robotaxi drifting into oncoming traffic with its blinker on. Another froze in the middle of an intersection, and one slammed on the brakes out of nowhere. At this point, though, Tesla says it's testing just 10–20 Model Ys in a small geofenced zone while it irons out the bugs. That hasn't slowed down Google parent Alphabet's Waymo, which continues to turn heads with its latest strides in the robotaxi space. More Tech Stock News: Struggling EV semiconductor company files for bankruptcyVeteran analyst drops bold new call on Nvidia stockAnalyst reboots AMD stock price target on chip update Waymo got a major boost from Uber, as driverless Jaguars roll out in Atlanta with zero extra fees. Meanwhile, Uber looks to cash in on Waymo's reach, and Tesla scrambles to fix glitches as the robotaxi wars kick into high gear. Tesla's hyped-up robotaxi launch got a thumbs-up from longtime Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives. Invited to test Austin's autonomous Model Y fleet, Ives was impressed, calling the roughly 15-minute trips "comfortable, safe, and personalized." He said it surpassed his expectations, a spark that could finally push autonomous driving into high gear. Related: Veteran Tesla analyst makes boldest robotaxi call yet That said, the longtime Tesla bull's comments contrast sharply with the viral clips making the rounds, raising questions over the robotaxi's safety. As mentioned earlier, the NHTSA is also involved, which complicates matters. Just before the launch, Ives hailed the Austin robotaxi rollout as the start of a "golden era of autonomous." He stuck with an outperform rating and a bold $500 price target, close to a 50% upside from Tesla's current price. Moreover, he feels that if Tesla pulls off full-scale robotaxi deployment, it could unlock a $1 trillion bump in valuation. Following the reveal on Sunday, Tesla stock surged on June 23, opening at $348.68, up sharply from Friday's close of $322.16. However, the excitement didn't last. By June 25, shares had pulled back to $327.55, giving up a lot of those gains as the hype cooled off and traders reassessed the long-term impact. Related: Veteran analyst drops bold new call on Nvidia stock The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
37 minutes ago
- Miami Herald
Tesla is Going to be Jealous of Audi's New In-Dash Gaming
A core memory that I have from my childhood was that nearly every summer, my family would load up our cars and hit the road on hours-long road trips to vacation destinations within and around the northeast. However, this was the early and mid-2000s; the iPhone was years away, and the best built-in in-car entertainment technology at the time was the flip-out DVD players that came on the top-of-the-line versions of minivans like the Chrysler Town and Country and three-row SUVs like the Honda Pilot. Of course, we had none of that. On those trips, I hoped to heaven that my iPod would have enough juice to drown out my mom and my sister shouting directions from a Mapquest printout. However, it's the 21st century, and new digital solutions are keeping passengers from saying 'Are we there yet?' These days, big 'ol screens are in our faces 24/7, and they even dominate the dashboards of our cars. However, Audi is taking advantage of that fact and using it to transform the typical, boring car ride into a shared digital experience with the launch of AirConsole, a gaming platform available in select Audis. As the name suggests, AirConsole is a virtual video game platform that enables occupants to play games directly on the vehicle's infotainment screen by using their smartphones as controllers. This feature is now offered through the Audi Application Store in Audis equipped with Android-based infotainment systems, including the Audi A5, Q5, A6, A6 e-tron, and Q6 e-tron. Once inside the car, players can connect their phones by scanning a QR code on the infotainment screen, which will instantly turn their devices into wireless controllers. Passengers can then enjoy solo or multiplayer sessions on the central display, or, in models equipped with a passenger screen, even keep the games going while the vehicle is in motion. Thanks to Audi's dynamic privacy mode, gameplay stays out of the driver's view to avoid distraction. The available game catalog is expansive, with new additions arriving regularly. These include puzzle, trivia, and even fast-paced party games, like UNO Car Party!, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and Pictionary Car Party, which will be available exclusively to Audi drivers through the end of 2025. Audi's adoption of AirConsole reflects a broader trend in the automotive industry, where automakers find new ways to make cars into personalized digital 'homes away from home.' Although Audi is new to the AirConsole platform, other luxury brands have already adopted it. BMW was the first automaker to integrate AirConsole into its lineup, introducing the feature in its 7 Series and later expanding it to other models, including cars in its MINI brand. However, Tesla pioneered in-car gaming in 2019 with Tesla Arcade. Unlike AirConsole, which features less graphic-heavy, multiplayer-friendly games, Tesla Arcade has more graphic-heavy games and supports external Bluetooth controllers such as those for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Tesla's game catalog includes recognizable titles like Cuphead, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Beach Buggy Racing 2, which even allows players to steer using the actual steering wheel when the car is parked. In the release about this feature, Audi says that AirConsole is another addition to the Audi Application Store, which already has other interactive apps like Spotify, YouTube, and the sports streaming platform DAZN. Personally, I think this sort of integration is kind of cool, though I probably won't be able to fully use it unless I am driving actual children in the car on an extended road trip, or if someone else is driving. Today's kids have it made, but I do think there's a hidden benefit with this sort of integration. The games available on AirConsole include Uno and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, which require thinking and, most importantly, encourage active communication while playing. Say what you will about kids and their phones, but I'd rather be in a car full of energy and interaction than one where each occupant is silent and in their own world. Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oracle Named Leader in Gartner's 2025 Analytics Magic Quadrant, Highlighting AI Integration
Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is one of the best US tech stocks to buy now. On June 23, Oracle announced that it has been recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms. This marks the second consecutive year that Oracle has received this distinction, acknowledging its Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision in the analytics and business intelligence market. The report was published earlier by Gartner on June 16. According to the executive vice president of Oracle Analytics, T.K. Anand, the recognition is a result of Oracle's integration of AI at the core of its analytics offerings. Oracle continues to enhance its Analytics Cloud offerings by applying AI to facilitate user interaction with analytics. A notable feature is the Oracle Analytics AI Assistant, which uses the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure/OCI GenAI service. A team of IT professionals meticulously crafting a large-scale enterprise performance management system. The AI Assistant allows workbook authors and analysts to use natural language to discover insights from their data and construct complex visualizations. Additionally, Contextual Insights provide business users with a deeper understanding of their data by offering insights and recommendations as they navigate and explore analytics content. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. While we acknowledge the potential of ORCL as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: and . Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
