Tesla stock slides 4% after Musk flags “agonizingly slow” Cybercab, Optimus ramp
New York, January 21, 2026, 09:44 — Regular session. Tesla shares dropped 4.2% to $419.25 in early Wednesday trading after CEO Elon Musk warned that initial production of the Cybercab robotaxi and Optimus humanoid robot would be “agonizingly slow” before picking up pace. The company, valued around $1.39 trillion, has pinned much of its future on these ambitious projects to shift investor perception beyond just electric vehicles. Musk explained on X that production speed slows as new parts and processes are introduced; the Cybercab is a two-seater lacking manual controls, with Tesla aiming for volume production by 2026 while testing robotaxi service in Austin using a version of its Full Self-Driving software.