Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) investor Ross Gerber questioned CEO Elon Musk's marketing strategy as U.S. gasoline prices rose to $4.44 per gallon. Gerber asked why Tesla does not advertise electric vehicles on television while promoting Starlink.

This critique coincides with Goldman Sachs lowering its third-quarter vehicle delivery estimate for Tesla to 435,000 units, down from a previous projection of 490,000. This revised figure also falls short of the 456,000 unit consensus from Visible Alpha. Goldman analyst Mark Delaney maintained a Neutral rating and a $360 price target while cutting his delivery estimate.

Fuel Costs and Delivery Forecasts

Analyst Patrick De Haan reported that the average U.S. price for regular gasoline reached $4.44 per gallon as of Sept. 21, up 18.5 cents from the previous week and $1.28 from a year earlier. The national average for diesel reached $6.49 per gallon, representing a 30.7-cent weekly increase and a $2.83 jump from the same period last year.

Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management, took to X to ask, "Why are there Starlink ads on TV but no Tesla ads to sell EVs when gas prices are through the roof?" He further questioned whether leadership was missing an opportunity to capitalize on higher fuel costs.

Regulatory and Sector Pressures

The downgrade coincides with heightened regulatory attention on the electric vehicle maker. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ordered Tesla to respond to 21 detailed questions regarding the self-certification of its Cybercab robotaxi. Responses must be submitted under oath by a Tesla officer by Sept. 30.

Geopolitical tensions involving Iran have triggered fuel price increases, prompting major U.S. carriers to reconsider their operations. United Airlines Holdings Inc. and American Airlines Group Inc. have signaled potential capacity cuts in response to elevated costs. United CFO Michael Leskinen stated at Morgan Stanley’s Laguna Conference that the airline is prepared to adapt to the changing global landscape.

Competition and Policy Shifts

Alphabet Inc.-backed Waymo is expanding its autonomous vehicle services into Las Vegas, with plans for an unsupervised rollout in Tokyo by 2027. The majority of Waymo’s Las Vegas fleet will consist of Zeekr’s co-developed “Ojai” robotaxis, backed by Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. This expansion positions Waymo against competitors like Uber and Tesla, which continues to face regulatory hurdles for its own autonomous offerings.

President Donald Trump hinted at a potential policy shift regarding Chinese automakers entering the U.S. market. In an interview with Fox News, Trump dismissed rumors of a framework allowing direct entry but suggested openness to Chinese manufacturers building vehicles within the United States.

What the Numbers Show

The divergence between Goldman’s new estimate (435,000) and market consensus (456,000) highlights systemic caution among investors regarding Tesla’s third-quarter performance. Simultaneously, the sharp rise in gasoline prices ($4.44 regular, $6.49 diesel) creates a theoretical demand tailwind for EVs, yet the lack of targeted advertising noted by Gerber suggests a disconnect between market conditions and Tesla’s current marketing allocation.

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) is encountering significant challenges in its Optimus humanoid robot project, specifically regarding dexterous hands and supplier networks, while industry peers debate the timeline for commercial deployment. These operational snags threaten to delay the broader rollout of the autonomous machine.

The difficulties specifically impact the robot's ability to perform fine motor tasks, a critical requirement for industrial applications. Supply chain constraints further complicate the procurement of specialized components needed for mass production.

Production Targets and Ramp-Up

According to a report by The Information, cited by Reuters, Tesla aims to establish a production line capable of producing more than 1,000 robots per week by the end of 2026. This ambitious target follows a recent period of rapid expansion, with the company having ramped up production of the Optimus robot approximately tenfold in recent months.

Manufacturing and Durability Concerns

The sophisticated hands of the Optimus robot pose major manufacturing and durability issues. These technical hurdles are central to the current bottlenecks in scaling up operations. The combination of design complexity and supply chain limitations highlights the gap between prototype success and mass-market viability.

Commercialization Timeline Debate

Jerry Wang, Global Executive Chairman of Faraday Future (NASDAQ: FFAI), stated that Tesla could realistically turn its Optimus humanoid into a commercial product next year. "I think it's very realistic," Wang said when asked about a 2027 launch. He argued that hardware is no longer the primary barrier; instead, software and training remain the critical hurdles.

"The hardware is not a barrier right now. The barrier is software and training," Wang noted, pointing to Tesla's computing power and data access as advantages. He rated current robot hardware at 60 out of 100, while rating the necessary software at just 10 out of 100.

Data Bottleneck and Market Skepticism

Wang identified a data bottleneck as a key constraint, explaining that robots require experience from physical machines operating in real-world environments to learn effectively. "Without enough robots, you won't have enough data," he said. "Even failure is a great data; [a] robot will know what not to do."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has acknowledged this gap, stating during the second-quarter earnings call that no humanoid robot can currently perform generalized tasks. While JPMorgan suggests commercial sales of Optimus Gen 3 could begin in the second half of 2027, prediction markets remain skeptical. Polymarket prices in about a 10% chance that Tesla makes Optimus available for public purchase by the end of 2026.

Competitive Landscape and Pricing

Faraday Future has shifted focus toward robotics, delivering more than 500 robots across humanoid, quadruped, and wheeled models this year. Wang predicts useful humanoid robots could cost less than $20,000 within three to five years. He expects humanoids to eventually account for roughly half of the robotics market due to their suitability for human-designed environments.

However, Wang noted that humanoids are not always the optimal tool. For simple warehouse jobs, wheeled robots with arms may be cheaper and more efficient than bipedal machines requiring balance and walking capabilities.