The Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) Roadster high-performance vehicle has been somewhat of an elusive figure in the auto industry ever since Elon Musk showed off a prototype of the vehicle almost a decade ago.
Since then, there have been numerous reports about the vehicle’s release, promising everything from hair-raising performance to even the ability to hover using Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX) inspired technology that Musk has said could allow the vehicle to hover.
Adding fuel to the fire, Tesla recently announced it was reopening the $50,000 reservations for prospective owners, which coincided with an announcement that the vehicle would debut on October 1, 2026. However, ahead of its debut, Tesla said it was delaying the Roadster to October 15, citing unfavorable weather conditions since the debut was going to be an outdoor event.
However, the chatter has failed to impress investor Ross Gerber, who is the CEO and co-founder of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth Management. During his conversation with Benzinga, the investor remained unconvinced about the vehicle’s relevance for the EV giant.
High-End EVs 101
The conversation began with Gerber confirming that he did not hold a reservation for the Roadster. "I’m not holding a reservation because I’ve fallen for the reservation trick for too long with Tesla," the investor said. "It usually doesn’t serve you any purpose to have a reservation," he added.
However, the investor acknowledged that he had "wanted that car" since he was shown the prototype five years ago. "I’ve had to put off buying a McLaren or Ferrari or any kind of fancy car because I won’t drive a gas car," he said, reiterating his pro-EV stance.
Be that as it may, there were limited options when considering high-end EVs in the U.S. Gerber pointed to the Ferrari N.V. (NYSE:RACE) Luce, designed by former Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) design head Jony Ive, calling it a "disaster," and said that most people believed there was not a market for high-end electric cars, which he did not entirely agree with.
"I think there is,” he said, “but it’s a smaller market than the overall market for high-end cars because it’s people like me who don’t want to buy a gas car. And so that’s, that’s a subset of the high-end car market," Gerber said.
Ross Gerber Says Roadster Might Be a Limited Run
The investor then opined that exclusivity remains another key factor for high-end EVs, which was also a challenge for profit margins. "When you buy a Ferrari, you’re essentially turning over over $100,000 to the company just because it’s a Ferrari, you know?"
"And so Ferrari is a highly profitable business with margins better than any company in our industry," the investor said. "But it has this sort of growth ceiling in that you can only charge so much for a car, which they charge the maximum. And if we make too many of them, then they’re not special."
The conversation shifted back to Tesla and Gerber lamented the "stupid" decision to sunset Tesla’s Model S Plaid, which he called the "best car ever.” The investor said that it was hard to believe that people cannot buy a Model S, but potentially buy a Roadster.
"I think this is just going to be a one-off thing, like maybe they make a few hundred of these things and sell them. And that’s that," he said, predicting that the Roadster could be a limited-run model.
What Is the Purpose of Hovering?
"Why would I need a car to hover?" Gerber asked when we brought up the Roadster’s purported hovering capabilities. "I don’t see the purpose of it," he said, adding that the feature would balloon costs. "I look at it as a gimmick," he said.
He also pointed to challenges like getting a heavy electric vehicle off the ground, citing the weight of the battery. The investor said the weight was why electric planes were still not mainstream. "Nobody’s going to let me fly this around the city; it obviously does not have the aerodynamics of a plane," he said.
"The whole thing is stupid to me," Gerber said. "Just give me the f***ing car. You know, I mean, I don’t know how else to say it," the investor said. "I want it to be fast. I want it to have great range and look amazing. I’d like it to drive itself," he added, saying that these features would make the Roadster "the best sports car on earth."
Gerber then said that Musk had a tendency to push things further than they needed to be because "Elon is crazy" and he "spins garbage" all day. The investor then opined that Musk had "made people numb" to what he said because his predictions were so "extreme,” drawing parallels with President Donald Trump.
A Possible Low-Cost EV Solution?
Amid the energy shocks and skyrocketing gas prices due to the ongoing Iran war as well as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Gerber stressed the importance of low-cost EV options in the market, saying that people were not thinking about owning a Robotaxi or a flying car.
"A low-cost EV is a game changer for whoever can make one, because people will buy them," the investor said, hinting at a possible version of the Cybercab with traditional vehicle controls.
"Maybe we make a two-seater car for $25,000 with great range and self-driving that people can buy. That would sell millions throughout the world because people are being hammered by high gas prices." Gerber also hailed China’s low-cost EVs, which are not available in the U.S. market.
"There’s a massive need for cheaper EVs," Gerber said, "And he [Musk] can fill that, but he’s choosing not to at the expense of these ‘moonshot’ ideas" like Robots, which do not have utility, the investor said, slamming Tesla’s Optimus goals.
"That’s what great technologies do,” he said. Great technologies “solve problems. And he’s moved into not solving problems," the investor lamented. "I’m in the heart of the EV business. So I know what’s coming. And what’s coming are cheaper EVs," the investor said, stressing that Musk should transition to making affordable vehicles.
Gerber Questions Whether Musk Has Ever Driven Himself
As our conversation changed gears, we steered into the Cybercab’s direction. "I was in the Cybercab last weekend; I like the car. You know, I would buy it as a car. You see what I’m saying?" Gerber said, questioning why Tesla was selling the vehicle as a cab rather than a vehicle people can drive themselves.
"We use our vehicles for many functions. And so it’s very hard to just rely on some cab picking you up all day every day," the investor said. He opined that Musk may not have ever traveled without "somebody driving him and just calling Uber every time."
The investor also questioned the Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) meets Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) approach, which would let owners put their cars on the Tesla Robotaxi platform, saying that people would want to buy the cars if they did not "go into the network" and if it had traditional controls like a steering wheel and a brake.
Tesla Sales Could Increase If People Liked Elon Musk
Towards the end of the conversation, Gerber pointed to Tesla’s potential to sell millions of EVs. The investor said that Tesla would do fine "if he [Elon Musk] was just selling cars." However, the investor said that a "part of the problem" was that "when you’re the biggest a***ole on Earth, people don’t like buying stuff from you. And he doesn’t seem to want to rectify that opinion."
He also pointed to Tesla’s failure to reach the much larger production ambitions Musk has previously outlined, including his estimate that two new models could eventually generate more than 5 million vehicles annually. "I actually love the car and the software and the technology. It’s amazing," the investor said.
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