New York, Feb 28, 2026, 10:06 ET — The market is now closed.
- Tesla finished Friday’s session off 1.5%, with shares edging a bit lower in after-hours trading.
- Tesla’s California robotaxi schedule came under renewed scrutiny after a Reuters report surfaced.
- Next week brings a focus on regulatory moves, filings, and major U.S. data as investors weigh their next steps.
Tesla (TSLA.O) finished Friday’s session down 1.49% at $402.51, then edged 0.18% lower after hours—wrapping up another volatile week for the EV giant’s shares. U.S. markets remain closed over the weekend.
According to a Reuters report Thursday, Tesla hasn’t made any regulatory moves in 2025 to get the green light for a fully driverless robotaxi service in California. For the sixth year running, the company logged zero autonomous test miles in the state. Tesla still only has a basic permit on file—one that requires a human safety driver—and has covered just 562 miles since 2016. State regulators are proposing a 50,000-mile minimum before any company can even apply to test without a safety driver, Reuters noted. Bryant Walker Smith from the University of South Carolina, who specializes in autonomous driving, pointed out that Tesla blames regulators, but “regulators are ready, and they are not.” In contrast, Alphabet’s Waymo banked over 13 million miles before it started charging for driverless rides in California. Reuters
The robotaxi narrative is now front and center in explaining Tesla’s lofty valuation, particularly when car demand numbers wobble. And if there’s going to be regulatory heat or splashy controversy, California’s where investors are bracing for it.
Tesla shares dropped Friday, mirroring a rough session for Wall Street. The Dow slipped roughly 1%. Nasdaq nearly matched that, also down close to 1%, as investors factored in worries around AI upheaval, tariffs, and ongoing geopolitical trouble.
Tesla shares dropped 2.26% across the past five sessions, Barchart’s performance data shows.
Director Kathleen Wilson-Thompson exercised options for 40,000 shares late Friday, according to a regulatory filing. On Feb. 25, she sold 25,731 shares under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which handles pre-set trades. After these moves, she reported 19,669 shares still in her name.
Tesla and Germany’s IG Metall union have agreed to pause their conflict over the Feb. 10 labor meeting at Tesla’s Berlin-area plant, according to the union. Jan Otto, who heads the local IG Metall office, said the agreement clears the way for both parties to “concentrate fully on the issues” before the works council vote coming up next Wednesday. Reuters
Investors are watching as Tesla’s Cybercab project, a key piece of the company’s autonomy story, faces more leadership changes. Barron’s says Victor Nechita, who managed the robotaxi vehicle program, recently exited. Tesla’s valuation? Still above 200 times projected 2026 earnings.
The jump from test rides to a full-scale driverless rollout is rarely linear. Permitting often drags on, outpacing management’s estimates, and new reporting requirements—plus the risk of a headline-making mishap—can swiftly hurt a stock still trading on hefty software revenue hopes.
Trading picks up again Monday. Investors are eyeing whether Tesla will trigger another phase of California approvals. Also on the radar: the U.S. February jobs report, out March 6, which has the potential to shake up rate forecasts—and with them, high-growth stocks like Tesla.
