Cathie Wood Says Tesla's AI Training Ramp-up Will Give EV Maker A Headstart In Robotaxis: 'A Winner-Take-Most' Opportunity With 'SaaS-Like Margins'

Cathie Wood's Ark Invest is a big believer in Tesla, Inc's TSLA AI potential. On Friday, the money manager weighed in on one of the electric vehicle maker's AI-driven opportunities.

What Happened: Ark Invest analyst Frank Downing tweeted that Tesla's AI training capacity will likely grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 273% from 2021 to 2024 if the company achieves the target of a ramp-up to 100 exaflops of AI training capacity within that timeframe.

Weighing in on the estimate, Wood said, “If successful, this incredible ramp in compute will increase the odds that #Tesla will be the first to roll out a nationwide autonomous taxi platform.”

This, according to the fund manager, is a “winner-take-most” AI-driven opportunity with “SaaS-like margins.”

See Also: Everything You Need To Know About Tesla Stock

Why It's Important: Ark currently estimates Tesla to hit $2,000 in 2027, with bear- and bull-case price target at $1,400 and $2,500 respectively. The firm assumes that the robotaxi business will likely be a key driver, contributing 67% of the expected enterprise value and 64% of expected EBITDA in 2027.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk, in an interview with CNBC in May, explained how robotaxis are a win-win proposition for car owners and the company. An average passenger car is currently used just 10 to 12 hours a week and remains idle the rest of the time at the owner's home or place of work, he said. By installing Tesla's autonomous software, these vehicles could be on road as part of a ride-hailing network, earning money both for the company and the owner, he said.

The revenue split could be 50/50 or 70/30 in favor of car owners, he said, adding that, instead of just manufacturing a vehicle and selling it with a gross profit margin of 25%, each car would potentially earn a margin of 70% or higher over time. 

Tesla closed Friday's session at $256.60, down 3.30%, according to Benzinga Pro data.

Read Next: Cathie Wood Wonders What’s The Next Shoe To Drop, As Ark Invest Founder Blames Fed For Regional Banking, Commercial Real Estate Crises

Photo: Shutterstock