Elon Musk is seen making a hand gesture as he attends a state dinner hosted by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in honour of U.S. President Donald Trump. The event took place on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at Lusail Palace in Doha, Qatar. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Elon Musk has announced a bold new goal: he wants hundreds of thousands of Teslas driving themselves on U.S. roads by the end of next year—without any human help. In a pair of interviews on Tuesday, Musk also confirmed he plans to stay on as Tesla’s CEO for at least another five years.
Speaking first at the Qatar Economic Forum and later on CNBC, Musk shared updates about Tesla’s upcoming self-driving taxi service set to launch in Austin, Texas, next month. He revealed the initial fleet will be small—about ten vehicles—but Tesla plans to expand rapidly and eventually offer the service in cities like Los Angeles, San Antonio, and San Francisco.
At first, the robotaxis will be monitored remotely and limited to certain parts of Austin considered safe for navigation. The cars will not have steering wheels or brake pedals, making them fully autonomous. Despite concerns from federal safety officials about how these taxis will function in fog, rain, or other difficult conditions, current U.S. laws give regulators limited authority over such self-driving tech.
Musk claimed, “We’ll probably have hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, Teslas doing self-driving in the U.S.” He even described a future where passengers could sleep and wake up at their destination.
Although Tesla’s stock has taken a hit this year, it saw a nearly 1% rise on Tuesday, closing at $345. Over the past month, shares have climbed more than 50%—a rebound tied to Musk’s increased focus on Tesla and less time spent in Washington.
In addition to his automotive ambitions, Musk addressed his controversial stint as head of the Department of Government Efficiency under former President Trump. He said he had no regrets about the sweeping job cuts he oversaw, and brushed off concerns that it hurt Tesla’s image. According to Musk, demand for Teslas is recovering well after months of slumping sales in the U.S. and Europe.
Musk also took a jab at competitors like Waymo, which already offers 250,000 paid rides per week with its own fleet of driverless taxis. “I don’t really think about competitors. I just focus on making our product the best,” he said.
When pressed on whether he would remain Tesla’s CEO long-term, Musk gave a definitive “yes,” though he joked, “I can’t still be here if I’m dead.”
Questions about Musk’s political involvement made him visibly uncomfortable. After a pause, he said, “I did what needed to be done,” referring to threats made against him and his companies. He insisted his actions were necessary and promised to scale back his political donations moving forward.
On the topic of his blocked $56 billion Tesla pay package, Musk criticized the Delaware judge responsible, calling her an “activist.” However, he admitted that compensation and control over Tesla’s future are part of his motivation to stay in charge—especially if the company begins producing millions, or even billions, of humanoid robots.
