Tesla Soars 10% On Friday, Poised For 2025's Best Weekly Performance Amid Rising Robotaxi Expectations

Tesla Inc’s stock surged 10% to $285.50 on Friday afternoon, heading towards its best weekly performance of 2025 with a 24% gain. This surge occurred despite the broader markets pausing a three-day rally amid renewed U.S.-China trade uncertainty.

Key Factors Driving Investor Enthusiasm

Investor enthusiasm around Tesla this week was fueled by a mix of policy support and strategic company moves. Some key factors include:

  • U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a new regulatory framework aimed at easing development hurdles for autonomous vehicles, seen as a win for Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions.
  • Tesla rolled out aggressive new promotions to revive sluggish domestic sales, including free Full Self-Driving transfers and 0% APR financing on select models.
  • The company introduced a lower-cost Cybertruck and reaffirmed plans to release affordable models in 2025.

Analysts Remain Bullish

Despite the weak quarter, analyst firms like Piper Sandler and Wedbush remain bullish, maintaining targets of $400 and $350 respectively, citing Tesla’s potential in autonomy and new product launches. However, some investors have voiced skepticism about the robotaxi rollout’s near-term valuation impact.

Challenges Ahead

Tesla is also contending with rising insurance costs, vandalism, and protests, which it formally acknowledged as risks in a new SEC filing. Nonetheless, optimism persists with 2025’s best week for Tesla shares as the company plans a broader rollout of its supervised ride-hailing service and a focus on production ramp-ups for its next-generation vehicles.

Buying TSLA Stock

To gain exposure to Tesla’s stock, investors can:

  • Purchase a share or fractional share of stock through a brokerage platform
  • Invest in an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that holds Tesla’s stock
  • Allocate themselves to a strategy in their 401(k) that seeks to acquire shares in a mutual fund or other instrument

Key Statistics

  • 52-week high: $488.54
  • 52-week low: $166.37

As the regulatory environment evolves and Tesla shifts its marketing approach, the coming months could prove pivotal for the EV giant’s trajectory.