Uber Could Outpace Elon Musk's Tesla In Robotaxi Race, Says TSLA Bull Gary Black

Noted investor and TSLA bull Gary Black has shared his thoughts on Uber Technology Inc.'s UBER earnings call and the company's autonomous taxi plans, which could give Uber an edge over Tesla Inc.'s TSLA Robotaxi launch in June.

What Happened: In a post on social media platform X, Black shared an excerpt of Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's address on Wednesday.

Black then expanded upon what was said with his thoughts. "For those who think $TSLA will be only one that can offer an autonomous ride-hailing option, think again." He said.

He highlighted how Uber could have an advantage in the autonomous ride-hailing segment, as the company would "welcome any player" to "monetize their vehicles by including them on the UBER platform." Black said in the post.

He also pointed out that Uber already has over 100 Alphabet Inc.'s GOOGL GOOG Waymo AVs in Austin, Texas. "If TSLA has 10-20 autonomous vehicles and UBER has >100 vehicles in Austin, which platform will an Austin rider choose if they are both offered at the same cost per mile?" the investor said.

Why It Matters: The Tesla Bull's comments coincide with the company's anticipated robotaxi launch in Austin, Texas, next month, which Black had called "an experiment."

The company rolled out a limited launch for the robotaxi service for its employees in cities like Austin and San Francisco, and Tesla says it has driven over 15,000 miles with the rollout.

However, the company still lags behind Waymo, which recently partnered up with Toyota Motor Corp TM to develop autonomous driving technology and even explore personal ownership.

Elsewhere, Elon Musk's Robotaxi ambitions are facing hurdles as a trademark filing by Tesla over "Robotaxi" and "Cybercab" has been refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

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