Welcome back to the latest episode of “The Future of Automotive” on CBT News, where we put recent automotive and mobility news into the context of the broader themes impacting the industry.
I’m Steve Greenfield from Automotive Ventures, and I’m glad that you could join us this week.
With Tesla’s sales volumes under pressure, and his work with the Department of Government Efficiency winding down, it begs the question of what Elon Musk’s long-term goal actually is.
We could debate whether we’re actually going to see a fully autonomous robotaxi from Tesla anytime soon (he’s promised launching them in Austin, Texas next month). But for today’s conversation, let’s focus on robots.
Elon Musk’s vision of tomorrow relies on humanoid robots, led by Tesla’s Optimus prototype, perhaps even more than it does on electric cars and self-driving taxis.
At the Tesla shareholder meeting in June, Musk said, “My prediction is that a majority of Tesla’s long-term value will be Optimus.”
Whether Optimus turns Tesla from a $1 trillion company into a $25 trillion company, as Musk has predicted, he might well be directionally correct about the future importance of humanoid robots.
Musk might have a reputation for overhyping his products, but the more conservative Goldman Sachs, wrote in a report last year that humanoid robots could “become the next commonly adopted technology after EVs and smartphones.”
JP Morgan predicts that 2026 could be the “Year of Physical AI” and expects to see early adopters using humanoid robots soon.
Musk in January said Tesla plans to build 10,000 Optimus robots this year and that he was confident “several thousand” would be “doing useful things” by year-end.
As I thought about Musk’s vision of both “Colonizing Mars” and putting a humanoid robot companion in every household, I hadn’t thought about the convergence of these two concepts. Until now.
This week, long-term Tesla bull ARK Investment Management announced that they are finalizing their open-source SpaceX valuation model.
Analytically, their model works like a flywheel.
Beginning with cash, SpaceX builds rockets and satellites, generates orbital bandwidth, acquires Starlink customers, and reinvests the resulting cash.
As the cycle continues, funds flow gradually toward Mars development until the Starlink constellation is complete.
At that point, ARK Invest assumes that SpaceX will go “all-in” on getting to Mars.
Each Mars-bound rocket will theoretically carry a mix of Optimus humanoid robots and building materials.
As Optimus costs decline and productivity improves over time, SpaceX will leverage an army of robots to build out infrastructure on Mars, in preparation for eventual human inhabitants.
A one-way trip to Mars with current technology will take about 9 months.
So, as crazy as it might sound, imagine that the first Optimus robots land on Mars by the end of this decade and start building structures on the surface.
I don’t think there would be any reason for the robots to ever return to Earth, but we could, conceivably, be watching live video of thousands of Optimus robots building out the cities of tomorrow, awaiting their human inhabitants of arriving in short order.
Talk about engaging 24/7 live TV.
What an interesting future we all have ahead of us.
So, with that, let’s transition to Our Companies to Watch.
Every week we highlight interesting companies in the automotive technology space to keep an eye on. If you read my weekly Intel Report, we showcase a company to watch, and we take the opportunity here on this segment each week to share that company with you.
Today, our new company to watch is Kimoby.
Kimoby has created what they call their “Dealership Engagement System” (or DES) that optimizes every customer interaction.
Kimoby’s DES is a DMS-integrated platform that optimizes interactions for dealership in the United States and Canada. From appointments to payments, ensuring efficient and satisfying customer experiences that drive loyalty and growth.
Kimoby’s DES drives increased revenue, superior customer experiences, and scalable business growth that integrates seamlessly within the dealership’s current ecosystem.
The cutting-edge platform seamlessly integrates with all major DMS’, streamlining customer data flow. From automated appointment reminders and targeted campaigns to quick estimates and mobile payments, Kimoby empowers dealerships to elevate customer experiences and set new, modern industry service standards.
If you’d like to learn more about Kimoby you can check them out at www.kimoby.com
So that’s it for this week’s Future of Automotive segment.
If you’re an AutoTech entrepreneur working on a solution that helps car dealerships, we want to hear from you. We are actively investing out of our DealerFund.
Don’t forget to check out my first book, “The Future of Automotive Retail,” and my brand-new book, “The Future of Mobility”, both of which are now available on Amazon.com.
Thanks (as always) for your ongoing support and for tuning into CBT News for this week’s Future of Automotive segment. We’ll see you next week!
