If a Tesla Cybercab fleet were profitable, Tesla wouldn’t sell you one

This is Tesla news, not directly about home energy upgrades, but worth a quick note since it involves EVs and Tesla's promises around them. Tesla is now asking businesses if they want to buy fleets of its Cybercab robotaxis and run them on its ride-hailing network, splitting the revenue. This echoes a pitch Elon Musk made back in 2019, when he told owners they could earn up to $30,000 a year in profit by adding their Tesla to a "Tesla Network," and claimed the cars would be "appreciating assets." Neither promise has materialized. No owner has ever been able to run their car as a robotaxi, and Tesla operates the service itself.

One real-world example: a Dutch leasing company called MisterGreen bought more than 4,000 Teslas betting on that same promise. Instead, Tesla cut new car prices repeatedly, used Teslas lost value faster than the broader used-car market, and the robotaxi income never showed up. The company went bankrupt in December 2025, losing $40 million.

For homeowners, the direct takeaway is limited, but the underlying point about EV ownership costs is relevant if you're weighing an electric vehicle: promises about future income or resale value from software features are unproven, and vehicles like this can depreciate faster than expected. If you're also considering solar to power an EV at home, that's a separate decision worth researching through your state's own rebate and incentive programs.