Tesla is considering a $10.1 billion solar cell plant in Texas, according to a tax incentive application filed with the state. The proposed 3,050-acre facility in Fort Bend County would consolidate the full solar production chain, from ingot and wafer manufacturing to module assembly. The project, dubbed "Project Crystal Sun", could create 9,712 permanent jobs and 1,147 construction positions, with operations targeted for the first quarter of 2029. Tesla is seeking a 10-year property tax limitation and is also evaluating a site outside Texas. Venture capitalist Chamath Palihapitiya commented that Tesla is "going all in on nuclear", noting the sun is "a nuclear reactor, just farther away". Tesla currently produces solar panels at a facility in Buffalo, New York.

Tesla trades at $332.81 whilst Wedbush's Dan Ives maintains a $600 price target, implying 80% upside by valuing the company as an AI-robotics firm rather than a carmaker. Tesla missed Q2 non-GAAP EPS estimates by 38%, posting $0.33 against expectations of $0.54. Revenue of $28.24 billion beat forecasts by 7.1%, but operating expenses surged 47% year-over-year to $4.35 billion whilst capital expenditure jumped 142% to $5.79 billion. Free cash flow turned negative at $1.09 billion and operating margin collapsed to 1.4%. The stock has fallen 18% over the past month, trading below both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages. Record deliveries of 480,126 vehicles and a 56% increase in Full Self-Driving subscriptions to 1.48 million failed to offset the profit deterioration. Ives applies a tech-like multiple of approximately 214 times estimated 2026 earnings, projecting a $2 trillion to $3 trillion market capitalisation as autonomous and robotics businesses scale.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis endorsed Tesla's Cybercab during a tour of the SunTrax testing facility in Auburndale. The two-seat electric robotaxi, designed for unsupervised autonomy without a steering wheel or pedals, was praised by DeSantis as "clearly very beneficial." DeSantis rode in the vehicle on the test track, where it successfully navigated simulated hazards including a child in the street and traffic incidents. He emphasised that safety remains the top priority before wider deployment. Florida maintains some of the most permissive autonomous vehicle regulations in the US, allowing fully autonomous vehicles to operate on public roads without a human operator present. Tesla describes the Cybercab's early production ramp as a slow "S-curve" expected to accelerate later this year, targeting up to 2 million units annually long-term.