On April 20, 2025, Sawyer Merritt, a prominent Tesla commentator with 870K followers on X, shared a detailed list of investor questions slated for Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call, scheduled for Tuesday.

The post, which garnered significant attention, reflects the priorities of both retail and institutional investors, representing a combined $1.14 billion worth of Tesla shares. These questions delve into Tesla’s ambitious plans for Full Self-Driving (FSD), robotaxi deployment, battery supply, and global market strategies, offering a window into the challenges and opportunities facing the electric vehicle (EV) giant.

For EVXL readers—EV owners and enthusiasts—this article breaks down the key concerns, analyzes their implications, and provides industry context to understand Tesla’s trajectory.

Retail Investors Focus on FSD, Affordability, and Global Risks

Retail investors, holding 919K Tesla shares, submitted eight questions that reflect a mix of optimism and concern about Tesla’s consumer-facing initiatives. A top question, with 3.2K votes, asks, “When will FSD unsupervised be available for personal use on personally-owned cars?” This query underscores the anticipation for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving technology to reach a level where drivers can fully delegate control, a milestone Tesla has promised for years. The company’s FSD Beta has been in testing since 2020, but regulatory hurdles and safety concerns have delayed unsupervised deployment. In the Q4 2024 earnings call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that unsupervised FSD could arrive “as early as 2025,” but no firm timeline was confirmed.

Another pressing question, backed by 3.1K votes, probes whether Tesla is “still on track for releasing ‘more affordable models’ this year” or if the focus will shift to “simplified versions to enhance affordability, similar to the RWD Cybertruck.” Tesla has long teased a sub-$30,000 vehicle to broaden its market, but production challenges and rising material costs have cast doubt on feasibility. The Cybertruck’s base rear-wheel-drive model, priced at $60,990, remains out of reach for many, prompting skepticism about Tesla’s ability to deliver on affordability promises in 2025.

Tesla Confirms Plans For Sub-$30,000 Ev, Raising Questions About Strategy And Timeline

Retail investors also raised concerns about global economic risks, with 2.4K votes for the question, “How is Tesla positioning itself to flexibly adapt to global economic risks in the form of tariffs, political biases, etc.?” Tariffs, particularly in markets like the European Union, have impacted Tesla’s margins. In 2024, the EU imposed a 9% tariff on Tesla’s China-made vehicles, prompting the company to shift some production to its German Gigafactory. Political biases, such as varying EV incentives across U.S. states, further complicate Tesla’s strategy, making this a critical area to watch.

Battery supply constraints, noted in the Q4 2024 earnings call, remain a concern, with 1.2K votes asking, “Does Tesla still have a battery supply constraint and how does this change w/tariffs?” Tesla’s reliance on lithium-ion batteries, coupled with global supply chain disruptions, has limited production capacity. Tariffs on battery materials, such as those from China, could exacerbate these issues, potentially increasing costs for consumers.

Institutional Investors Target Robotaxi Deployment and Market Strategy

Institutional investors, representing 1.5M Tesla shares, focused on Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions and operational updates. The highest-voted question, with 362 votes, asks, “What are the highest risk items on the critical path to robotaxi launch and scaling?” Tesla’s robotaxi program, a cornerstone of Musk’s vision, aims to deploy a fleet of autonomous vehicles for ride-hailing. However, challenges persist, including regulatory approval, software reliability, and public safety concerns. In 2024, Tesla faced scrutiny after FSD-related incidents, prompting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate. Scaling a robotaxi network also requires significant infrastructure investment, such as dedicated charging and maintenance hubs, which Tesla has yet to fully address.

Another institutional question, with 381 votes, explores competitive dynamics: “Does Tesla see robotaxi as a winner-take-most market, and as you approach the Austin launch, how do you expect to compare against Waymo’s offering, especially regarding pricing, geofencing and regulatory flexibility?” Waymo, a leader in autonomous ride-hailing, operates in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco, with a fleet of over 700 vehicles as of late 2024. Waymo’s service, priced at roughly $1.50 per mile, benefits from less restrictive geofencing and established regulatory frameworks. Tesla’s Austin robotaxi pilot, expected in 2025, will face pressure to match Waymo’s pricing while navigating Texas’ regulatory landscape, which has been cautious about autonomous vehicles.

Institutional investors also sought clarity on production timelines, with 180 votes for, “Can you please provide an update on the unboxed method and how that is progressing?” Tesla’s “unboxed” manufacturing process, introduced in 2023, aims to reduce production costs by assembling vehicles in modular sections. While Tesla claimed this method could cut costs by 50%, implementation has been slow, with only the Gigafactory Texas partially adopting it by 2024. Delays in scaling this process could impact Tesla’s ability to meet delivery targets.

Operational and Market Expansion Challenges

Both retail and institutional investors questioned Tesla’s operational strategies. Retail investors asked, with 1.7K votes, “Regarding the Tesla Optimus pilot line, could you confirm if it is currently operational? If so, what is the current production rate of Optimus bots per week?” Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, is designed for factory tasks and, eventually, consumer use. Musk claimed in 2024 that Optimus production would begin in 2025, targeting 1,000 units per year initially. However, no official updates have confirmed the pilot line’s status, raising doubts about Tesla’s ability to meet this timeline.

Another retail question, with 1.6K votes, addresses Tesla’s delivery goals: “What is the plan to achieve the Whitehouse stated goal of doubling deliveries in 2 years based on specific market segments and regional factory contributions?” The Biden administration’s 2023 goal to double EV deliveries by 2025 relies heavily on Tesla, which delivered 1.8 million vehicles in 2024. To double this to 3.6 million by 2026, Tesla must expand production across its Shanghai, Berlin, and Texas factories while targeting growth in markets like India, where it broke ground on a new factory in 2024. However, regional challenges, such as India’s high import tariffs (up to 100% on EVs), could hinder progress.

EVXL’s Take: Balancing Ambition with Execution

Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call questions reveal a company at a crossroads, balancing groundbreaking innovation with operational hurdles. The focus on FSD and robotaxi deployment highlights Tesla’s leadership in autonomous driving, but regulatory and safety concerns remain significant barriers. The emphasis on affordability and battery supply reflects broader industry challenges, as rising material costs—lithium prices increased 15% in 2024 to $15 per kilogram—threaten EV adoption. Tesla’s ability to navigate global economic risks, such as tariffs and political shifts, will be crucial for maintaining its 19% global EV market share, especially as competitors like BYD (17% market share) close the gap.

The robotaxi market, projected to reach $45 billion by 2030, offers immense potential, but Tesla must address Waymo’s head start and regulatory complexities. Meanwhile, the unboxed method and Optimus production timelines will test Tesla’s operational efficiency. For EVXL readers, the key takeaway is clear: Tesla’s vision is as bold as ever, but execution will determine whether it can deliver on its promises in a rapidly evolving industry.

As Tesla prepares to answer these questions, investors and enthusiasts alike will be watching closely for signs of progress—or pitfalls—in the company’s ambitious roadmap.