Investor Ross Gerber of Gerber Kawasaki stated on Saturday that he prefers Tesla Inc.'s Cybertruck over his Rivian Automotive Inc. electric vehicle. The investor described the preference as a "controversial" opinion, noting that the Cybertruck suits his usage patterns well, particularly as a summer vehicle. The comments were made via a post on X.

Despite his preference for the hardware, Gerber criticized Tesla's autonomous driving software. He suggested that the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology should be renamed to "pretty good self-driving" or "PGSD." Gerber argued that while the system performs well in most situations, it is not advanced enough to achieve Level 3, 4, or 5 autonomy. He previously classified the system as Level 2 on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) scale.

Future EV Outlook

Gerber expressed optimism regarding the future of electric trucks. He stated that he is looking forward to new models from Rivian, including the R2 crossover SUV. He also mentioned anticipation for the customizable EV pickup truck from Slate Auto, which is backed by Jeff Bezos and priced at $25,000. Additionally, Ford Motor Co. was recently testing its $30,000 EV pickup truck prototype in Phoenix, Arizona.

Regulatory Scrutiny

Tesla's FSD system is currently facing regulatory scrutiny following a fatal crash in Texas involving a Model 3. The incident, which resulted in the death of a 76-year-old woman, has prompted investigations by both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Tesla AI Chief Ashok Elluswamy had previously indicated that the system could receive improvements, specifically regarding natural-language voice commands for precise drop-off locations.

Tesla shares were down 0.04% at $407.59 during the trading after-hours session on Friday.

Tesla Inc. reported 480,126 global deliveries in the second quarter of 2026, far exceeding market expectations of approximately 406,000 vehicles. This performance represents a 25% year-over-year increase and a 34% jump from the previous quarter. Despite the delivery beat, Tesla's stock dipped following the news. Investor Gary Black of The Future Fund LLC attributed the decline to ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Iran and surging gas prices, which also contributed to the delivery surge.

Tesla's Model Y SUV reclaimed the title of China’s best-selling vehicle in June. However, the company faces regulatory headwinds as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) raised concerns regarding autonomous vehicles, specifically citing interference with first responder operations. NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison criticized companies operating these vehicles and called for necessary fixes by the end of the month. Additionally, a proposed bill in New Jersey aims to mandate that autonomous vehicles utilize cameras and other sensing technologies, including radar and LiDAR sensors, which could block Tesla’s camera-based robotaxi strategy.

Chinese EV giant BYD Co. Ltd. delivered 557,090 fully electric vehicles in Q2 2026, widening the gap against Tesla by over 160,000 units. BYD's figures illustrate its strong overseas exports push into Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, with June sales expanding by 5.5%.

Legacy automakers faced significant challenges. Ford Motor Co. recorded a 40.7% plunge in U.S. EV sales to 9,746 units in Q2, compared to 16,438 units in Q2 2025. The F-150 Lightning EV pickup plummeted over 58%, while Ford's total sales fell 10% to 522,811 units. The company also addressed quality woes with two recalls affecting over 777,000 vehicles. General Motors Co. reported a 4.2% year-over-year decline in sales to 714,896 units, with year-to-date sales falling 6.8% to 1,341,325 units.

Stellantis NV defied the trend with a 6% year-over-year increase in U.S. sales, bringing its first-half volume to 634,187 vehicles. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer surged 43%, while the Ram 1500 and Dodge Durango each saw a 9% improvement. Stellantis-backed Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology Co. Ltd. marked its official entry into the North American market in Mexico. Rivian Technologies Inc. produced 12,613 vehicles and delivered 12,194 units, beating its internal guidance of 9,000 to 11,000 vehicles, and raised its full-year 2026 outlook to between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles.