What's Going On With Tesla Shares Today?

Tesla Inc. TSLA shares are volatile Wednesday amid recent news around the company's AI ventures, robotaxi ambitions, improving China sales and historical seasonal strength.

AI Supercluster Launch: Elon Musk confirmed that Colossus 2, the next-gen AI supercomputer built by his startup xAI, will be the first AI training supercluster powered by a gigawatt of clean energy. Located in Memphis, the facility will utilize 168 Tesla Megapacks to support a million-square-foot data center aimed at training large-scale models such as Grok.

The project has drawn both praise and criticism. Environmental concerns have surfaced due to reports of unpermitted methane gas turbines being deployed in a historically Black neighborhood. Activists point to projected emissions of over 130 tons of nitrogen oxide and 17.2 tons of formaldehyde.

Robotaxi Rollout in June: Musk reiterated Tesla's plan to launch robotaxis in Austin, Texas this June. The rollout will begin with a limited fleet of around 10 vehicles, expanding to potentially hundreds of thousands by late 2026.

This model avoids reliance on third-party platforms like Uber or Lyft. However, it's still unclear how regulators will respond. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, during a visit to Tesla’s Gigafactory in Austin, expressed openness to a unified federal regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles, a shift that could fast-track Tesla's expansion if realized.

China Sales Rebound: Tesla's insurance registration data in China showed a sharp week-over-week rebound, with 11,130 new registrations reported between May 12 and May 18, up from just 3,100 the week prior. While year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter figures remain negative, the sudden improvement offers short-term relief for investors worried about Tesla's recent performance in international markets.

Still, broader concerns remain. Tesla is reportedly sitting on around 10,000 unsold Cybertrucks, even after launching a cheaper RWD variant and offering trade-in options.

Political Backlash and Brand Damage: Tesla's brand image has taken a hit in recent months due to Musk's alignment with President Donald Trump and involvement in the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Cathie Wood acknowledged the brand damage in a recent Bloomberg interview but maintained her bullish stance, arguing Tesla will dominate the U.S. robotaxi market.

Musk has signaled his intent to focus more on Tesla and step back from political responsibilities, following criticism over his role in federal cost-cutting and controversial international deals, such as the Saudi SpaceX agreement that prompted a Senate ethics inquiry.

Seasonal Strength: Separately, Tesla has entered its most bullish seasonal trading window, according to data from Seasonax. A strategy of buying TSLA on May 21 and selling on July 18 has delivered positive returns every year for the past decade, averaging 24.3%. Even excluding the outlier 98.5% gain in 2020, the average return stands at 18%.

Key Takeaways: Tesla stock is volatile amid a convergence of bullish seasonal patterns, improving China registrations, a renewed focus by Elon Musk and high-profile launches like the robotaxi. Controversies around environmental impact and Musk's political entanglements continue to loom.

TSLA Price Action: Tesla shares were down 3% at $333.52 at the time of writing, according to Benzinga Pro.

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