Gary Black challenges Tesla’s robotaxi and Optimus promotion strategy as early fleet growth appears slow

Future Fund Managing Partner Gary Black questioned how Tesla plans to market its robotaxi ambitions and its Optimus humanoid robot, arguing the company cannot depend on “word of mouth” and on Elon Musk’s social-media activity to create traction for its next-generation products.

Black’s remarks, reported in a market wrap, come as he described Tesla’s robotaxi rollout as progressing only marginally. He said the company’s robotaxi fleet appears to be “stuck” at roughly 90 to 100 vehicles, and asked what would change that trajectory. The comment centers less on Tesla’s technology and more on the company’s ability to scale deployments and generate consistent consumer awareness.

In the same critique, Black suggested that relying on informal attention cycles is not a substitute for a broader, repeatable strategy to persuade customers and partners. “What’s going to change this?” he asked, implying that absent a visible change in execution, the fleet size would remain a constraint on commercialization and expansion.

Robotaxi, in Tesla’s case, refers to a ride-hailing service driven by its autonomous-driving software and fleet operations, rather than a conventional consumer car offering. The size of an operating fleet matters because it can affect how often vehicles are available to pick up riders, how much real-world driving data is accumulated, and whether the service can be scaled beyond limited geographies.

Optimus is Tesla’s humanoid robot program, designed for tasks that humans might perform in industrial or other settings. Like robotaxis, Optimus faces an adoption challenge, particularly around demonstration of usefulness at scale, safety, and the creation of sustained demand beyond early enthusiasts.

Black’s comments also reflect a broader investor question that has surrounded autonomy bets: whether Tesla’s roadmap for autonomy services and robotics can move quickly enough from pilots to a sustained business with measurable, scalable uptake. In that context, marketing and distribution are not just branding issues, they can be tied to partnerships, regulatory approvals, and operational readiness.

Tesla did not provide additional detail in the reported post beyond the remarks attributed to Black. The coverage did not include Tesla’s response, any company-provided fleet statistics, or a clear explanation of the near-term plan for changing fleet growth and consumer outreach, leaving the underlying drivers of the reported fleet “stuck” condition unspecified.