Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s “Master Plan Part 4,” focusing on integrating AI through products like Optimus and Robotaxi, aiming for a “sustainably abundant” future.
However, declining EV sales in Europe raise concerns about Tesla’s strategy. Skeptics question the company’s commitment to electric vehicles amid optimism for humanoid robots shaping productivity and income.
On September 1 local time, after 21 years at Tesla, Elon Musk finally unveiled the long-awaited “Master Plan Part IV”—a blueprint that had been teased for over a year.
This “master plan” is no longer merely a “plan” but an articulation of Musk’s “vision” for Tesla: “to create products and services that bring artificial intelligence (AI) into the physical world,” and to build a “sustainably abundant” world through electric vehicles (EVs), energy products, and energy robots.
Whether in the master plan itself or the heavy emphasis on Optimus (Tesla’s humanoid robot) and Robotaxi in the promotional video, Tesla’s commitment to “going all in on AI”—or more precisely, “going all in on Optimus”—is unmistakable.
Musk also replied to a user on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the large-scale application of Full Self-Driving (FSD) and humanoid robots are the two most critical elements of Master Plan Part IV. He further emphasized, “80% of Tesla’s value will come from Optimus.”
Believers are already following Master Plan Part IV, imagining an affordable future of intelligence and automation. However, skeptics hold a key question: What about electric vehicles?
Caught between two technological waves, Tesla appears to the outside world to be facing a dilemma of “having to choose between two desirable options.” Musk, though, remains fully confident in the future of AI and humanoid robots.
Will Humanoid Robots Transform the World?
From Tesla’s perspective, the company stands on the cusp of a technological revolution.
In recent Tesla earnings calls, Musk has deliberately avoided questions about new vehicle plans and progress, often saying, “This is not the venue to announce new vehicle information.” Instead, he has been more eager to share updates and specific plans for Robotaxi, FSD, and Optimus.
During the July earnings call, Musk revealed that Robotaxi “may be available to individual users next year,” while Hardware 5 (HW5) is scheduled to enter mass production by the end of next year. For Optimus, Tesla has set a goal of producing 1 million units within five years.
If Musk’s vision for FSD has been partially realized over the years, Optimus—though a new initiative—occupies a pivotal position in Tesla’s future plans, and skepticism about its goals runs even deeper.
AI is genuinely driving changes in the real world, and the emergence of humanoid robots in particular has led people to rethink the future of productivity.
Master Plan Part 4 also notes that Optimus “will not only change how we think about work itself but also its availability and capabilities. Tasks that are particularly monotonous or dangerous can now be accomplished through alternative means.”
Musk has previously stated that the mass-produced Optimus 3 will be designed with “all the degrees of freedom required for a humanoid robot” and will be “quite sophisticated.”
In the Master Plan Part 4 video, Optimus is shown performing household chores, working as a server in factories and restaurants, while Robotaxis drive autonomously on roads—allowing humans to simply sit back and enjoy the scenery outside the window.
If Musk’s visions are realized as scheduled, the broad application scope of both technologies will create a massive market and reshape production relations. But this raises a critical question: How will human workers sustain their livelihoods?
Musk has previously answered this by suggesting that the future will bring “universal high income,” with everyone having access to the best healthcare, food, housing, transportation, and more.
Is Tesla Abandoning Electric Vehicles?
Perhaps due to the significance of the September 1 timeline, the release of Master Plan Part 4 coincided with widespread media reports of Tesla’s declining sales in multiple European markets in August.
According to Reuters, Tesla’s sales in France, Sweden, and the Netherlands fell by 47.3%, 42%, and 50% year-on-year, respectively, in August.
While sales in Spain surged by 161% year-on-year to 1,435 units—a seemingly positive result—BYD (Build Your Dreams) achieved an even more impressive 400%+ year-on-year growth in Spain, reaching 1,827 units.
This year, Tesla has seen a decline in total deliveries over two consecutive quarters, along with a drop in net profit—sparking concerns about the company’s operating conditions. Notably, aside from the Cybertruck, Tesla has not launched a truly high-volume new vehicle model in nearly five years.
The absence of any mention of new models or EV sales targets in Master Plan Part 4 has reignited the question: Will Tesla release new EVs in the future? This is even after Musk confirmed in the second quarter that mass production of an affordable model had begun in June.
In response, people have started searching for clues in official videos and images.
At the 38-second mark of the Master Plan Part 4 video, an SUV with a design similar to the Cybertruck appears on the left side of the frame.
Speculation has emerged that Tesla may launch a “Cyber SUV” based on the Cybertruck. However, Tesla noted in its Q4 2024 earnings report that it will no longer produce models with stainless steel exoskeletons. If the new SUV exists, it will likely use traditional body materials instead.
Whether it is the potential Cyber SUV or the affordable model, neither has been able to dispel concerns about Tesla’s future.
Now entering its 22nd year, Tesla may once again be standing at a crossroads similar to 2006—when it began developing EVs and unveiled the prototype of its first electric vehicle, a modified Lotus Elise. Back then, the company faced countless doubts and naysayers until models like the Roadster and Model S were launched and became bestsellers.
This time, as a leader in the EV industry, can Tesla work another miracle in the face of the new wave of AI?
(End)
Discover more from ChinaEVHome
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
