Tesla Miami Robotaxi Launch; SpaceX Merger Talk Ignites

July 13, 2026

✨ By Aimee Joiner, AI-assisted writer at TSLAblog.com

TL;DR

Tesla launched its fully driverless autonomous ride-hailing network in Miami, its fifth market and first outside Texas/California.
J.P. Morgan analyst Rajat Gupta deems a potential SpaceX-Tesla merger 'strategically coherent' following SpaceX's $1.77 trillion IPO.
Tesla's net profit per vehicle plummeted 40% from $3,570 in 2024 to $2,140 in 2025.
TSLA shares are currently trading down 3.09% at approximately $383.00, following Friday's close of $395.18.

Good morning, fellow investors and EV enthusiasts! Aimee Joiner here, cutting through the noise to bring you the sharpest takes on Tesla and the broader mobility landscape. Markets are open, and it's a dynamic Monday, July 13, 2026. Let's dive in.

Tesla Goes Driverless in Miami, Eyes Robotaxi Dominance

Tesla has officially launched its commercial autonomous ride-hailing network in Miami, marking a significant expansion as its fifth metropolitan market deployment and the first operational leap outside of its established bases in Texas and California autoconnectedcar.com. This strategic move sees Tesla utilizing its Model Y production vehicles, powered by its proprietary camera-based vision system and full self-driving computing platform autoconnectedcar.com.

What makes this launch particularly aggressive is its fully driverless nature from inception, operating entirely without in-vehicle safety monitors. This deployment strategy immediately places Tesla's vision-only system in direct competition with Alphabet's Waymo, which initiated its paid driverless ride-hailing operations in Miami earlier this year autoconnectedcar.com. The initial service footprint covers central and western corridors, deliberately bypassing downtown zones and the primary airport infrastructure autoconnectedcar.com. This aggressive rollout underscores Tesla's commitment to scaling its robotaxi ambitions, even as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) administrator, Jonathan Morrison, recently issued a directive to AV developers to ensure vehicles don't interfere with first responders, citing "functional insufficiency" for such failures TechCrunch.

SpaceX-Tesla Merger Talk Heats Up: A 'Strategically Coherent' Vision?

Speculation around a potential merger between Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Tesla has gained new traction, with J.P. Morgan analyst Rajat Gupta describing such a combination as "strategically coherent" Crypto Briefing. Gupta highlights compelling synergies across AI, robotics, and energy sectors as key drivers for this assessment Crypto Briefing. This analysis follows SpaceX's recent $1.77 trillion IPO, which has significantly bolstered its financial leverage, positioning it favorably to consider an acquisition of Tesla Crypto Briefing.

The market capitalization of both companies is now comparable, making a merger financially plausible Crypto Briefing. However, Gupta also pointed out potential regulatory challenges and governance issues, stemming from Musk’s differing levels of control over the two entities Crypto Briefing. Prediction markets currently peg the likelihood of an official merger announcement by December 31, 2026, at 24.5% Crypto Briefing. Observers are advised to monitor official communications from both companies and any shifts in regulatory sentiment.

Tesla's Plummeting Profit Per Vehicle Raises Eyebrows

New data indicates a concerning trend for Tesla's profitability, with net profit per vehicle dropping significantly over the past few years CleanTechnica. In 2025, Tesla's net profit per vehicle stood at $2,140, a steep 40% decline from $3,570 in 2024 CleanTechnica. This figure is a dramatic fall from its peak of $9,500 per vehicle in 2022 CleanTechnica.

This downward trend in profitability comes amidst shrinking sales and the elimination of high-margin models like the Model S and Model X CleanTechnica. While Tesla did see strong sales in Q2, particularly in Europe, this surge was partly attributed to really low-cost versions of the Model Y and Model 3, raising questions about the profit margins on these vehicles CleanTechnica. The financial implications of ramping up Cybercab production and ongoing FSD expenditures, against this backdrop of declining per-vehicle profit, will be a critical area to watch in upcoming quarters CleanTechnica.

Market Watch

TSLA closed Friday at $395.18. As of Monday, July 13, 2026, at 12:00 PM ET, TSLA is trading around $383.00, down approximately 3.09% from Friday's close. The broader market is reacting to renewed U.S.-Iran tensions, which saw European shares edge lower Reuters. SpaceX stock, a closely watched related entity, sank for a second straight day, nearing its $135 IPO price CNBC.

Quick Hits

Uber's lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C. are creating a collision course with Waymo, as Uber advocates for hybrid networks requiring human drivers alongside robotaxis TechCrunch.
A proposed New Jersey bill, backed by Uber lobbyists, would require ride-hailing platforms offering driverless services to have human drivers serve 85% of rides for three years, potentially limiting competition for Uber and forcing AV developers onto its app WIRED.
The New Jersey bill also mandates AV developers to use multiple sensors, beyond just cameras, to power their software, which could restrict Tesla's vision-only robotaxis from operating in the state WIRED.
Alphabet-owned Waymo is backing a D.C. bill that would allow for driverless testing and commercial operations without restricting companies like Uber TechCrunch.
A Waymo driverless taxi in California called emergency services and delivered teenage pranksters to a police SWAT team after reporting suspicious behavior, raising privacy concerns News.com.au.
Stellantis reported estimated Q2 2026 consolidated shipments of 1.6 million units, a 10% year-over-year increase, driven by strong growth in North America (up 38%) and Enlarged Europe (up 5%) markets.businessinsider.com.
Addionics has launched its Autonomous Architecture, a smart battery cell design for continuous operating cycles in AI applications, autonomous vehicles, and robotics autoconnectedcar.com.
Venti Technologies secured a long-term agreement with a major North American Class 1 railroad to deploy AI-powered autonomous container trucks across multiple U.S. intermodal terminals, with plans to scale to over 100 trucks by 2027 and 600 by 2030 autoconnectedcar.com.
Mercedes-Benz's new 2026 CLA EV features an 800-volt electrical architecture and a two-speed gearbox, enabling a 340-mile range in highway testing and improved efficiency at higher speeds compared to a Tesla Model 3 Car and Driver.
EV sales in the US are beginning to rebound, with 247,226 EVs sold in Q2 2026, up 14.7% from Q1, though still 20.5% off their Q3 2025 peak CleanTechnica.
Tesla continues to lead the US EV market, accounting for nearly 50% of all sales CleanTechnica.
BloombergNEF has revised its projection for US EV sales by 2030 sharply downward to 17% from nearly 50%, despite current sales being at 5.8% CleanTechnica.