Tesla Inc. faces mounting investor pressure ahead of its October 21 earnings call, with questions focusing on the Cybercab retail launch and Full Self-Driving (FSD) hardware upgrades.

The queries follow the recent expansion of the Robotaxi fleet in Austin to 300+ Cybercabs, an 8x increase in 30 days. Investors are seeking clarity on when customers can purchase Cybercabs for private ownership and how insurance liability will be handled for fleet operators.

Cybercab retail debut and fleet scaling

Investors on the Say platform asked about the timeline for the Cybercab's retail debut. One shareholder representing over 444,000 shares inquired, "When will the CyberCab be available for customer purchase/ownership?" Another investor representing over 515,000 shares questioned how the fleet scales beyond Austin, given the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s open safety review.

Concerns regarding the business model also surfaced. With CEO Elon Musk previously describing the service as a combination of Airbnb and Uber, investors asked whether Tesla would assume full responsibility for insurance if owners operate their own robotaxi fleets.

Hardware 3 FSD upgrade demands

A significant portion of investor inquiries centered on the limitations of Hardware 3 (HW3) vehicles. Tesla has acknowledged that HW3 cannot support unsupervised FSD, prompting questions about compensation and upgrade paths.

• An investor representing over 261,000 shares asked when owners will know if they can upgrade their hardware for free.
• Another shareholder with over 161,000 shares sought clarity on whether technical work on HW3 upgrades has begun or is waiting on HW5 production.
• Critics noted that HW3 cannot attain the "Full FSD" promised in April 2019, questioning how Tesla will compensate owners who purchased the capability outright.

Mapping issues were also highlighted, with users citing problems in recognizing speed limits, parking, and typical routes. Some suggested authorizing verified owners to provide map input to improve accuracy.

New product speculation and Optimus costs

Beyond autonomous driving, investors pressed for details on potential new products. A shareholder representing over 174,000 shares requested a full-size van for passengers and cargo. Questions also emerged regarding the Optimus humanoid robot, specifically its cost per unit and when it will begin generating revenue.

Musk has hyped the upcoming Roadster demo, calling it potentially the "greatest product demo" of all time, fueling speculation about hovering capabilities.

Market context and regulatory hurdles

The fleet expansion occurs as Tesla rebrands "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" to "Tesla Assisted Driving" in Europe following German regulatory criticism. The company delivered 486,532 units in Q3FY26, exceeding analyst predictions of approximately 462,000 units.

TSLA shares fell 1.59% to $361.31 during pre-market trading on Thursday.

Tesla Inc CEO Elon Musk has described the development of human-like robot hands as "shockingly difficult," stating that no existing design, not even a demonstration, can perform basic tasks like driving a screw into wood.

Musk made these remarks during an interview with Tesla Owners Silicon Valley on Saturday. He highlighted that even simple actions, such as signing one's name, require extraordinarily precise finger movements that current robotic technology struggles to replicate reliably.

Engineering Challenges and Production Bottlenecks

The complexity of robotic hands poses a significant hurdle for Tesla, which plans to achieve an annual production capacity of 1 million Optimus robots. Musk previously predicted that the Optimus line could eventually account for approximately 80% of the company's total value.

According to Musk, driving a self-tapping screw into wood is particularly challenging because it requires applying considerable force while maintaining precise control. He noted that touch sensors are prone to damage or wear after repeated movements, unlike human fingers which can repair themselves.

Research firm TrendForce identified Optimus's complex hands as a major production bottleneck in an October 8 report. The firm stated that the hands still require extensive manual assembly, and manufacturing consistency along with sensor reliability need improvement.

Competing Approaches in Robotics

Other robotics companies are addressing dexterity challenges with different strategies:

• Boston Dynamics: The company opted for four fingers instead of five for its Atlas humanoid robot. It explained that adding a fifth finger would increase costs and potential failure points without providing sufficient benefit for industrial tasks.
• Citrini Research: In September, the research firm argued that basic humanoid walking and running were largely solved problems. However, complex dexterity remains much harder, though simpler repetitive tasks could become commercially viable before robots achieve human-level capabilities.

Musk contrasted these approaches by describing Optimus as a general-purpose robot intended to perform a broad range of human activities, including those requiring fine finger control.

Production Timeline and Market Sentiment

Tesla announced in January that it planned to begin producing its third-generation Optimus before the end of 2026. Musk acknowledged on Saturday that the initial production ramp would be extremely slow due to engineering challenges and the need to establish a supply chain for specialized robot components.

Market sentiment reflects caution regarding the timeline. On prediction market platform Kalshi, traders placed the probability of Tesla offering Optimus to the public before the end of 2026 at just 7%, with approximately $401,000 traded on the contract. This contract specifically concerns public sales rather than robots deployed internally at Tesla.

What the Numbers Show

The divergence between Tesla’s long-term valuation target and near-term market expectations highlights the scale of the execution risk. While Musk projects that Optimus could represent 80% of Tesla's value, the market currently assigns only a 7% probability to public availability by the end of 2026. This gap underscores that while the strategic ambition is high, the immediate commercial viability is constrained by unresolved hardware complexities, specifically in hand dexterity and sensor durability.