"Tesla's Robotaxi Plans Face Challenges Amid Stock Volatility and Competition"

Tesla's decision to shift focus to developing self-driving robotaxis on its small-car vehicle platform is a risky bet, as the successful introduction of autonomous vehicles is still far off and faces engineering and regulatory hurdles. The company's emphasis on robotaxis comes with increased risk due to the complexity of the technology involved, and analysts believe that the industry is nowhere near proving the performance of self-driving vehicles. Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving driver-assistance systems are under unprecedented scrutiny from lawsuits and government investigations, and the company faces challenges in meeting federal and local rules for taxi fleets and autonomous vehicle testing.