Tesla News - Earnings Miss, Stock Plunge, Robotaxi Delays, SpaceX Merger Buzz

This episode covers Tesla’s sharp post‑earnings stock drop, driven by weaker‑than‑expected profits, heavy discounts, and surging capital expenditures, despite strong growth in vehicle deliveries and revenue. It explains the impact of shrinking regulatory credit sales and a one‑time accounting boost from Tesla’s SpaceX stake, clarifying that underlying automotive profitability is under pressure. The show details delays and uncertainties in Tesla’s Optimus robot and Robotaxi programs, highlighting the mileage gap with Waymo and the strategic choice of a camera‑only autonomy approach. It also examines Elon Musk’s latest comments that reignited speculation about a future Tesla‑SpaceX merger, the growing operational overlap between the two companies, and the regulatory and governance hurdles any combination would face. Finally, the episode situates Tesla within a tougher macro backdrop of higher oil prices, inflation risks, and rising interest rates that are weighing on high‑growth tech sto