Charged: Tesla targets June 12 launch of robotaxi service in Austin

Institutional investors and professional traders rely on The Fly to keep up-to-the-second on breaking news in the electric vehicle and clean energy space, as well as which stocks in these sectors that the best analysts on Wall Street are saying to buy and sell.

From the hotly-debated high-flier Tesla (TSLA), Wall Street’s newest darling Rivian (RIVN), traditional-stalwarts turned EV-upstarts GM (GM) and Ford (F) to the numerous SPAC-deal makers that have come public in this red-hot space, The Fly has you covered with “Charged,” a weekly recap of the top stories and expert calls in the sector.

ROBOTAXI: Tesla is targeting June 12 for the launch of its robotaxi service in Austin, a previously unreported date discussed internally that could still change, according to a Bloomberg report by Edward Ludlow, citing a person familiar with the matter. In preparation, the company recently conducted its first driverless test on Austin’s public roads with an engineer in the passenger seat. CEO Elon Musk plans an initial rollout of about 10 robotaxis in the city, a growing hub for autonomous vehicles where Alphabet’s (GOOGL) Waymo already operates.

The Tesla Robotaxi launch is tentatively set for June 12, according to a Bloomberg report, while CEO Elon Musk says that driverless testing of the Model Y has started in Austin without incident, Wedbush tells investors in a research note. The firm, which has a Neutral rating and $85 price target on Uber (UBER), believes the Tesla robotaxi serves as a long-term threat to Uber’s business model. Wedbush adds that the lack of clear catalysts in the near-term will limit Uber’s upside.

NOT MAKING CARS IN INDIA: Tesla does not want to produce cars in India, though Mercedes-Benz (MBGYY) and Volkswagen (VWAGY) are among the foreign carmakers eyeing India’s new electric vehicle policy, Reuters’ Neha Arora and Aditi Shah report, citing comments made by a federal minister.

ENERGY TAX CREDITS: Tesla Energy said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, “Abruptly ending the energy tax credits would threaten America’s energy independence and the reliability of our grid – we urge the senate to enact legislation with a sensible wind down of 25D and 48e. This will ensure continued speedy deployment of over 60 GW capacity per year to support AI and domestic manufacturing growth.” The statement comes after House Republicans passed a reconciliation bill last week that would undo much of the Inflation Reduction Act, including tax credits for clean energy projects.

Click here to check out Tesla’s recent Media Buzz Sentiment as measured by TipRanks.

DELIVERIES: Nio (NIO) announced its May 2025 delivery results. The company delivered 23,231 vehicles in May 2025, representing an increase of 13.1% year-over-year. The deliveries consisted of 13,270 vehicles from the company’s premium smart electric vehicle brand NIO, 6,281 vehicles from the company’s family-oriented smart electric vehicle brand ONVO, and 3,680 vehicles from the company’s small smart high-end electric car brand FIREFLY. Cumulative deliveries reached 760,789 as of May 31, 2025.

Meanwhile, Li Auto (LI) announced that it delivered 40,856 vehicles in May 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 16.7%. As of May 31, 2025, Li Auto’s cumulative deliveries reached 1,301,531. Li Auto has completed a comprehensive upgrade of its entire model lineup to new versions over the past month. The deliveries of Li MEGA Home began in late May, and its production ramp up is accelerating as orders significantly exceeded expectations.

XPeng (XPEV) also announced its vehicle delivery results for May 2025. In May 2025, XPENG delivered 33,525 Smart EVs, representing growth of 230% year-over-year, surpassing 30,000 units for the seventh consecutive month. For the first five months of 2025, XPENG delivered 162,578 Smart EVs, marking a 293% increase compared to the same period last year. On May 28th, the company launched the MONA M03 Max. MONA M03 Max lowers the entry barrier for urban AI smart driving to the 150,000 RMB range for the first time, making advanced vehicle technology more accessible to younger users. The MONA M03 Max is also the first XPENG model equipped with the AI Tianji XOS 5.7.0, offering over 300 new features.

Lastly, Zeekr (ZK) announced that in May, the company delivered a total of 46,538 vehicles across its Zeekr and Lynk & Co brands, reflecting a 15.2% year-over-year growth and 12.6% increase compared to the previous month. This accomplishment was realized thanks to the trust and support of nearly 1.95 million users. In particular, the Zeekr brand delivered 18,908 vehicles, while Lynk & Co delivered 27,630 vehicles.

VICIOUS COMPETITION: China’s automobile industry association has warned against “vicious competition” days after BYD’s (BYDDF) price cuts fueled market concerns of a discount war, Bloomberg reports. After BYD cut its prices as much as 34% on May 23, many others followed suit, “triggering a new round of ‘price war’ panic,” the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers said.

SOLAR FRIENDLY SENATE: GLJ Research upgraded Sunrun (RUN) to Hold from Sell with a $7.78 price target. The firm cites the recent selloff in the shares and the “solar friendly” Senate for the upgrade. Being short carries risks as Senate budget bill language favors residential solar, creating risk of a near-term “swift move higher” in the shares, GLJ tells investors in a research note. However, the firm still sees Sunrun’s core business as “structurally flawed.” GLJ also upgraded SolarEdge (SEDG) to Hold from Sell with a $6.90 price target.