Deepti Sri
5 min read
-
The absence of a public Cybercab livestream sparked retail backlash and “sell-the-news” fears.
-
The two-seat Cybercab has no steering wheel or pedals, an Unreal Engine-powered interface and 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space.
-
Tesla bulls said the Cybercab put Waymo, Uber and Lyft “on notice,” while Jason Calacanis forecast 40% global AV market share.
Shares of Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) slipped nearly 1% overnight late Thursday as U.S. safety regulators evaluated the company’s Cybercab rollout, while the showcase’s lack of a public livestream fueled frustration among retail investors.
TSLA stock jumped 5% on Thursday to its highest level in over a month, marking a second straight session of gains. Shares are up 8% this week and are on track for their best weekly performance in nearly four months.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is apparently evaluating Cybercab rides in Austin as the two-seater lacks steering wheels, pedals and mirrors, which are generally required under safety standards. “NHTSA is in contact with Tesla and is evaluating the situation,” a spokesperson told Reuters.
Cybercab Event Blackout Sparks Retail Backlash
“We are indeed entering a literal golden era of transport,” Musk said on X, joking that this was why the Cybercab was painted gold. Yet the glossy pitch did little to settle a heated debate among retail traders over whether Tesla had delivered a major glimpse of its autonomous future or set the stage for a familiar “sell-the-news” moment. Sentiment on Stocktwits around TSLA slipped to a borderline ‘bullish’ 59/100, as 24-hour message volume surged 94%.
“NO LIVE STREAM! LOL,” one bearish user said. Another asked: “Why no live feed? Doesn’t the product work?”
Others called the event “secretive” and wondered why Tesla would not publicly showcase a product key to its long-term valuation story. One user called the presentation a “nothing burger.” The blackout also fed fears that the event had already been priced into Tesla shares. Several bearish traders called it a “sell-the-news” setup, with one predicting a “rug pull” and another betting on a 10% or greater decline.
Retail skepticism extended beyond the event format to Cybercab’s commercial prospects. Users questioned whether consumers would embrace a vehicle without conventional controls and pointed to regulatory constraints and the limited scale of Tesla’s current robotaxi operations.
