If a Tesla Cybercab fleet were profitable, Tesla wouldn’t sell you one — SkimNews
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- Tesla circulated an interest form to fleet buyers at its September 3 Cybercab event, pitching 'Cybercab fleet vehicle purchasing' — but Tesla currently runs its robotaxi service itself and no private owner can deploy their car on the network
- Elon Musk told investors at Autonomy Day in 2019 that owners could earn up to $30,000/year in gross profit per vehicle on the 'Tesla Network' and called Teslas 'appreciating assets'; owners paid up to $15,000 for FSD on that promise
- Dutch leasing firm MisterGreen bought more than 4,000 Teslas betting on robotaxi income and resale value, went bankrupt in December 2025 after Tesla's two years of price cuts sent used Teslas depreciating at roughly three times the broader market rate, wiping out bondholders and losing $40 million
- An unnamed operator built a fleet in LA in 2018-2020 preparing for the promised Tesla Network revenue and had to shut down shortly after, per the author
- The piece contends that if Cybercab fleets truly printed $30,000/year per vehicle, Tesla would keep every car for itself — selling to outside operators shifts capex and depreciation onto buyers while Tesla retains software margins and full platform control
Why it matters: Fleet buyers would absorb Cybercab capital costs and depreciation while Tesla keeps software margins and the revenue split — the same risk structure that drove MisterGreen to bankruptcy in December 2025 with $40 million in bondholder losses. Tesla controls pricing, dispatch priority, and the revenue formula, so outside operators would be competing against the platform that sets the rules.
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