Tesla’s robotaxi and subscription shift puts EV stocks on edge ahead of a Fed-and-earnings crunch

Tesla’s robotaxi and subscription shift puts EV stocks on edge ahead of a Fed-and-earnings crunch

New York, Jan 25, 2026, 12:43 EST — Market closed.

Tesla’s shares finished Friday almost flat, slipping just 0.07% to close at $449.06. As the new week begins, the EV sector’s benchmark stock is gearing up for a busy slate of events. (Nasdaq)

Two key events fall on the same day: the Federal Reserve concludes its Jan. 27–28 meeting Wednesday, and Tesla is set to release quarterly earnings after the close. Interest rates continue to influence funding costs and risk appetite for EV makers, with Tesla’s results often setting the benchmark for the sector. (Nasdaq)

Smaller EV stocks stumbled late last week. Rivian dropped 2.3%, closing at $15.95. Lucid slid 3.5% to $11.06. U.S.-listed Nio declined 2.7%, ending at $4.64.

Tesla ramped up efforts to turn driver-assist features into a more consistent subscription stream. It stopped bundling some of these features with new vehicles sold in the U.S. and Canada. Now, customers who want self-steering and related tech must subscribe to the $99-a-month Full Self-Driving (Supervised) package. However, Tesla’s online configuration still lists Traffic Aware Cruise Control as included. (Reuters)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk pushed the international angle on Full Self-Driving (FSD), a driver-supervised system regulators view as advanced driver assistance, not full autonomy. “We hope to get Supervised Full Self-Driving approval in Europe, hopefully next month,” Musk told reporters in Davos. Reuters added that regulators in the Netherlands are expected to make a decision in February. (Reuters)

Policy, not just product, is shaking up EV trading again. On Friday, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration illegally halted funding for a $5 billion EV charger program. The decision permanently blocks the Transportation Department from pulling states’ allocated funds. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate plans to review a bill next week aiming to reallocate $879 million linked to the charger network. (Reuters)

Trade headlines keep shifting. On Saturday, Trump warned he might slap a 100% tariff on Canadian goods if Canada seals a trade deal with China. This move risks shaking up the North American auto supply chains, which rely heavily on cross-border flows. (Reuters)

High-valuation sectors, especially EV and autonomy stocks, face a tough backdrop. “At the end of the day, earnings are the driver,” said Franklin Templeton strategist Chris Galipeau. Roughly 20% of S&P 500 firms, Tesla among them, are set to report earnings in the next few days. (Reuters)

Pure-play EV makers continue to face a shaky environment. Since the $7,500 U.S. federal tax credit expired in late September, demand has softened, tightening both volume and pricing power—even for those firms that beat delivery forecasts. (Reuters)

Still, a key risk lingers: the autonomy narrative could outpace regulators and safety checks. Delays in approvals, or probes, sales curbs, or marketing clampdowns, could quickly sour sentiment—especially since much of the sector’s worth depends on expected software revenue down the line.

Trading restarts Monday, but the first major events drop midweek: the Fed’s Jan. 28 decision and Tesla’s earnings report after the close. Investors will zero in on Tesla’s software adoption and robotaxi developments — and watch closely to see if its guidance soothes or shakes up the broader EV sector.

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