<p>With all the excitement around <strong>Space Exploration Technologies</strong>, or SpaceX, still fresh in investors' minds, it's understandable if <strong>Tesla</strong> <span class="ticker-mention inline-flex items-center font-bold">(TSLA <span class="ml-1 text-red-900">2.18%</span>)</span> has somewhat faded from investor attention. However, that shouldn't detract from the fact that there's been news on the company recently, some of it good, some bad, and more to come in the near term.</p>
<h2>First, the bad news on Tesla</h2>
<p>Tesla is behind schedule on its robotaxi rollout. While recognizing that the rollout is not entirely under the company's control, the reality is that investors key in on what management tells them. Unfortunately, Tesla is not a company known for underpromising and overdelivering, especially when it comes to the robotaxi rollout.</p>
<div><img alt="The Tesla logo. " width="880" height="587" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-b3A9cmVzaXplJnVybD1odHRwczovL2cuZm9vbGNkbi5jb20vZWRpdG9yaWFsL2ltYWdlcy84Nzc3MTgvdHNsYS5wbmcmdz0zODQw?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-b3A9cmVzaXplJnVybD1odHRwczovL2cuZm9vbGNkbi5jb20vZWRpdG9yaWFsL2ltYWdlcy84Nzc3MTgvdHNsYS5wbmcmdz0zODQw"/>
<p>Image source: The Motley Fool.</p>
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<p>Back on an earnings call in July 2025, CEO Elon Musk said, &#34;I think we'll probably have autonomous ride-hailing in probably half the population of the U.S. by the end of the year.&#34;  Furthermore, going back to the fourth-quarter earnings presentation in January, the company said the robotaxi &#34;status&#34; for seven cities was &#34;H1 2026.&#34; That was later changed to &#34;ramping unsupervised&#34; for Dallas and Houston, and &#34;preparations underway&#34; for Phoenix, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Las Vegas. </p>
<p>Having passed the half-year mark, only Miami has been added to the list of cities with unsupervised robotaxis (and only in a limited section of Miami), after Dallas and Houston were added in the first quarter and Austin in the last quarter.</p><div><div id="foolcom_sidebar_top_mobile_container"><div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div></div>
<section><div><div><div><small><div>Expand</div></small></div><div><img alt="Tesla Stock Quote" width="64" height="64" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-b3A9cmVzaXplJnVybD1odHRwczovL2cuZm9vbGNkbi5jb20vYXJ0L2NvbXBhbnlsb2dvcy9tYXJrL1RTTEEucG5nJnc9MTI4?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-b3A9cmVzaXplJnVybD1odHRwczovL2cuZm9vbGNkbi5jb20vYXJ0L2NvbXBhbnlsb2dvcy9tYXJrL1RTTEEucG5nJnc9MTI4"/></div><div><h2>NASDAQ: TSLA</h2><div>Tesla</div></div></div><div><div><div>Today's Change</div><div>(-2.18%) $-8.80</div><div>Current Price</div><div>$394.10</div></div><div></div></div></div><div><div></div><div><h3>Key Data Points</h3><div><div>Market Cap</div><div><span class="inline-flex items-center gap-1">$1.5T<span class="group/market-cap relative inline-flex shrink-0 align-middle"><span></span><span id="_R_26kd5tminr5uamivb_" class="sr-only">Market cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.</span><span class="pointer-events-none absolute z-50 mt-1 w-64 rounded-md bg-gray-900 px-3 py-2 text-xs leading-snug whitespace-normal! wrap-break-word normal-case! text-gray-50 opacity-0 shadow-lg transition-opacity group-hover/market-cap:opacity-100 group-focus-within/market-cap:opacity-100 top-full right-0 left-auto translate-x-0">Market cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.</span></span></span></div><div>Day's Range</div><div>$390.52 - $399.63</div><div>52wk Range</div><div>$297.82 - $498.83</div><div>Volume</div><div>2M</div><div>Avg Vol</div><div>53.8M</div><div>Gross Margin</div><div>19.07%</div></div></div></div></section>
<h2>Does it matter?</h2>
<p>Whichever way you look at it, Tesla is behind management's previous proclamations on timelines. This matters because investors pencil in the company's earnings and cash flows based on these projections, which then need to be pushed back when timelines are not met. As such, it's not surprising that Tesla's stock price is down 6.7% as of this writing in 2026.</p><div></div>
<p>Moreover, investors will need to be patient with robotaxi as Musk was clear in the last earnings call in April that &#34;I think it's not going to make sense for us to deploy unsupervised FSD or robotaxi large scale when we know that there are major architectural improvements to the software that can improve safety,&#34; and this implies waiting for v15 of its full-self driving (FSD) software, which Musk expects &#34;hopefully by the end of this year, but certainly by early next year.&#34;</p><div><div id="in_line_article_pitch_container"><div><div><div><div></div></div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div></div><div></div></div></div>
<p>Clearly, the key question regarding the robotaxi during the upcoming earnings call is the current status of v15 FSD.</p>
<div><img alt="A Tesla service center. " width="880" height="528" src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-b3A9cmVzaXplJnVybD1odHRwczovL2cuZm9vbGNkbi5jb20vZWRpdG9yaWFsL2ltYWdlcy84Nzc3MTgvdGVzbGEtYnVpbGRpbmctd2l0aC10ZXNsYS1sb2dvLWFuZC10d28tdGVzbGFzLWluLWZyb250LTEucG5nJnc9Mzg0MA?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-b3A9cmVzaXplJnVybD1odHRwczovL2cuZm9vbGNkbi5jb20vZWRpdG9yaWFsL2ltYWdlcy84Nzc3MTgvdGVzbGEtYnVpbGRpbmctd2l0aC10ZXNsYS1sb2dvLWFuZC10d28tdGVzbGFzLWluLWZyb250LTEucG5nJnc9Mzg0MA"/>
<p>Image source: Tesla.</p>
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<h2>Now, the good news for Tesla investors</h2>
<p>Tesla's second-quarter delivery total of more than 480,000 blew away the Wall Street consensus of about 406,000. While the bears will be quick to remind the bulls that Tesla isn't a car company (a long-held bullish argument), the reality is that it is good news for Tesla.</p>
<p>Not only does it confirm that the company has moved past the Model Y refresh issue that slowed sales last year, but it also shows it's retaining its market position even as rivals are scaling back their EV plans after failing to gain market share.</p>
<p>Moreover, some back-of-the-envelope calculations show that the 74,000 extra units above Wall Street estimates (assuming an average revenue per unit of $43,000) will result in $3.18 billion in &#34;extra revenue.&#34; Given that Tesla's operating cash flow margin was about 15.6% in 2025 and assuming the extra deliveries are capital-spending-neutral, this could result in $500 million in &#34;extra&#34; free cash flow.</p>
<p>That will help derisk Tesla's capital spending plans, which include $25 billion in 2026. As such, the good news on deliveries helps derisk the company's plans.</p><div id="article_pitch_container"><div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div><div id="promobox_container"><div><div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div></div></div>

TSLA

TSLR

<p>Tesla faces mixed news: robotaxi rollout lags behind management's timelines, causing stock declines and delayed cash flow expectations. Conversely, Q2 deliveries of over 480,000 units significantly exceeded Wall Street estimates, generating substantial extra revenue and free cash flow. This strong performance helps derisk Tesla's $25 billion capital spending plans for 2026, despite ongoing delays in autonomous driving software deployment.</p>

- Tesla faces challenges with its robotaxi rollout, falling behind previous management timelines which affects investor expectations and confidence.  
- Despite this, Tesla reported over 480,000 vehicle deliveries in Q2 2026, surpassing Wall Street estimates and indicating a strong market position.  
- The additional units are projected to generate approximately $3.18 billion in extra revenue, potentially increasing free cash flow by $500 million, which may support the company's capital spending plans.

Some Good and Bad News for Tesla Investors