Tesla's Cybercab Fleet Pitch: Why the Math Still Doesn't Add Up

Tesla is reportedly approaching businesses with an offer to purchase and operate their own Cybercab robotaxi fleets on its network. It’s a proposition Elon Musk has been floating since 2019: buy the vehicles, let them generate income, and earn while you sleep.

The recurring problem with this pitch is that it keeps being made, but the promised reality has never materialized. When a company claims its own product can produce reliable passive income, the obvious question is why that company would hand the opportunity to outside buyers instead of keeping the profits for itself.

If a Cybercab fleet were genuinely a profitable enterprise, there would be little reason for Tesla to sell individual units to businesses at all. Enthusiasts and operators should treat the latest round of fleet pitches with the same skepticism that earlier versions deserved.