Tesla Stock Is Rising — Analysts Talk 2026 Robotaxi Catalysts

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares edged up about 1.5% on Friday morning trading after New Street Research said the global robotaxi market appears close to an inflection point.

The brokerage expects commercial robotaxi operations to expand in 2026 and views Tesla as well positioned to benefit from the shift. Analyst Peter Vogel reiterated a Buy rating on the stock and set a $600 price target, pointing to potential upside from current levels.

Vogel said Tesla’s approach gives it structural advantages, including lower vehicle costs, vertical integration, and a flexible supply model. He noted that Tesla can scale robotaxi capacity by using customer-owned vehicles alongside its own fleet, which may limit capital needs during periods of peak demand.

The analyst compared this model with rivals such as Waymo, suggesting Tesla could meet ride-hailing demand with significantly less upfront investment in some markets. He also highlighted Tesla’s large base of Full Self-Driving-enabled vehicles, which continue to generate real-world driving data across a wide range of conditions.

Looking ahead, Vogel flagged several possible catalysts in 2026, including progress toward unsupervised self-driving, changes to safety-driver requirements, and the expected start of Cybercab production. Over the longer term, he said robotaxi services could become a meaningful revenue driver for Tesla.