With Elon Musk’s massive $1 trillion pay package now settled, analysts like five-star-rated Dan Ives from Wedbush believe that investors should focus on Tesla’s future in artificial intelligence. Speaking at Yahoo Finance Invest in New York, Ives called this shift “the most important chapter ever” in Tesla’s story. Indeed, he sees the approval of Musk’s compensation plan as a strong signal that the company can now fully pursue its plans for AI and self-driving technology. As a result, Ives currently rates the stock as a Buy and has the highest price target on Wall Street at $600 per share.
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According to Ives, Tesla’s next big step is to push forward with self-driving cars and robotaxis. The company is already testing robotaxi services in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, although with safety drivers still on board. However, Musk recently said that these safety drivers in Austin will be removed by the end of the year. Tesla is also planning to expand testing to Miami, Dallas, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. In addition, production of Tesla’s first dedicated robotaxi, known as the Cybercab, is expected to begin in April 2026.
Ives also pointed to Tesla’s Optimus humanoid robots as a key part of its AI strategy. He believes that the company’s future is less about selling cars and more about long-term advancements in AI. Tesla plans to build a production line for 1 million Optimus units in Fremont, California, and later expand to 10 million units in Texas. While no timeline was shared, Optimus is already in pilot production. To earn his full pay, Musk must deliver 10 million full self-driving subscriptions, 1 million robotaxis, and 1 million Optimus robots.
What Is the Prediction for TSLA Stock?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Hold consensus rating on TSLA stock based on 14 Buys, 10 Holds, and 10 Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. Furthermore, the average TSLA price target of $382.54 per share implies 3.8% downside risk.
