Tesla CEO Elon Musk sought to calm anxious employees and investors during an unscheduled all-hands meeting Thursday night, addressing concerns over the company's stock slump, mounting brand backlash, and clarifying future product plans. Musk's remarks, streamed internally and later shared publicly via X, come amid intensifying scrutiny of Tesla's financial performance and his own political entanglements.
Tesla shares have tumbled roughly 42% year-to-date, reflecting weakening sales in key markets including Europe, China, and the U.S. The sharp decline has been fueled in part by public protests against Musk's increasingly visible political affiliations, including his leadership of President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative. Acts of vandalism targeting Tesla vehicles and Supercharger stations have been reported in both the U.S. and abroad.
"If you read the news, it feels like Armageddon. I can't walk past a TV without seeing a Tesla on fire," Musk remarked. "I understand if you don't want to buy our product, but you don't have to burn it down. That's a bit unreasonable."
Musk and Attorney General Pam Bondi have categorized the acts of vandalism as domestic violence, with Bondi vowing that the perpetrators would face "swift retribution."
Despite the turbulence, Musk reassured employees and shareholders of Tesla's long-term prospects, urging them to retain their stock. "Autonomous Teslas will be everywhere," Musk declared. "In five years probably we will have regulatory approval, I think globally, so you will have autonomous Teslas on every continent."
Musk emphasized that nearly the entire Tesla fleet-expected to surpass 10 million vehicles next year-is designed to be fully autonomous. The company is betting heavily on this capability to drive future growth, though regulatory and technical hurdles remain. Tesla recently secured preliminary approval in California to begin limited ride-hailing tests using human drivers and employees.
Central to Tesla's autonomous vision is the upcoming Cybercab robotaxi, with production slated for 2026. Musk revealed that factory preparations for the vehicle are underway, utilizing a new "unboxed" assembly technique intended to accelerate output. "The line will move so fast that people can't even get close to it-I think it'll be able to produce a car, ultimately, in less than five seconds," he said.
In addition to electric vehicles, Musk spotlighted the company's ambitious foray into robotics. Tesla has assembled the first Optimus humanoid robot on a dedicated production line at its Fremont facility, with plans to produce 5,000 units this year. By 2026, Musk aims to ramp production to 50,000 units, initially offering them to Tesla employees.
"You can imagine your own personal robot buddy that is a great friend but also takes care of your house. Clean your house, mow the lawn, walk the dog, teach your kids, babysit," Musk said. "Optimus will be the biggest product of all time by far. Nothing will even be close."
Musk argued that Tesla's combined advances in robotics, autonomous driving, and renewable energy infrastructure position the company as a leader in delivering what he called "sustainable abundance." He likened fluctuations in Tesla's share price to market noise, referencing Warren Buffett's analogy about people irrationally shouting out the value of your house daily. "So Tesla stock goes up, and it goes down. But, actually, it's still the same company. It's just people's perception of the future," he stated.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick also lent public support to Tesla earlier this week, encouraging investors to buy the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald, Lutnick's former firm, simultaneously upgraded its rating on Tesla.
