Musk’s robotaxi fairy tale is still searching for a happy ending

As Tesla touts robotaxis, GM is selling cars. [Bloomberg]( This is Bloomberg Opinion Today, a sacred and private moment of Bloomberg Opinion’s opinions. [Sign up here](. Today’s Agenda - Mere hours away from [Tesla’s release](. - Can’t a girl eat [a Whopper]( in peace? - Arizona [election lies]( increase. - Homebuyers [flock to Texas]( like geese. We Ride at Dawn? I wonder if tonight will be Elon Musk’s Cinderella moment — and I don’t mean that in a happily-ever-after way. For a few hours this evening, he’ll turn a pumpkin into a robotaxi prototype, and everyone will be oohing and ahhing. But once the clock strikes midnight, it’s entirely possible that the whole thing will bibbidi-bobbidi-backfire in his face. “Five years ago, Musk touted robotaxis — self-driving, self-funding wonders earning money for their owners — that would be ready by the end of 2020,” Liam Denning [says](. It’s now (checks calendar) 2024, and Musk is still [hyping up]( his as-yet-nonexistent autonomous vehicle. Even if tonight’s “We, Robot” event manages to dazzle and distract Musk’s fanbase, it probably won’t help Tesla catch up with rivals. General Motors, which overhauled its robotaxi unit to focus on electric vehicles and SUVs, has the clear competitive edge over Tesla after CEO Mary Barra’s strategic reset: While Musk is busying himself with [drone shows]( and [lawsuits]( GM is actually making — and selling — cars. And it’s being smart by channeling the profits into stock buybacks. “It buys time for further cost reductions in batteries, funds peace with unions and creates space for some outperformance,” Liam explains. [Lithium prices]( have fallen in recent years, and Javier Blas says China could further reshape the cost curve: Rio Tinto also just finalized a $6.7 billion all-cash purchase of [Arcadium Lithium]( its most significant deal in nearly two decades, and one which Javier sees as a bet against China. But Rio isn’t the only one on Beijing’s back. The European Union, which just last week voted [to impose tariffs]( as high as 45% on electric vehicles imported from China, is also out for blood. David Fickling [says]( the tariffs “could threaten the one remaining stronghold of European carmakers in China — and, with it, the political will that’s preventing the current clean technology trade war intensifying further.” Robotaxi daydreams, imagined or otherwise, are the least of our concerns at this point. Burger Queens So, Burger King doesn’t have the greatest track record with women. In 2009, the fast-food chain sexualized [Spongebob]( and [seven-inch sandwiches](. A decade later, it decided that [International Women’s Day]( was the appropriate occasion to [tweet]( “Women belong in the kitchen.” And last month, it debuted another [controversial ad]( involving new mothers. But Beth Kowitt [says]( this time it’s the critics, not Burger King, who deserve a public flogging. The “Bundles of Joy” commercial, released on Sept. 26 (the most popular day to give birth in the UK), depicts a bunch of women inhaling a burger immediately after they had a baby. As Beth — a mom herself — can attest, “that first meal of whatever food you’ve been deprived of for months will be among the best of your life,” and the clever ad captures that ravenous hunger. Too bad some individuals — let’s be real, some men — were scandalized by the concept of post-childbirth burgers. Beth says there’s a petition on [Change.org]( to ban the campaign “for allegedly capitalizing on what’s supposed to be a sacred and private moment.” Other critics were [outraged]( that highly processed foods were being given to new moms. But “after growing and then birthing a tiny human, women should be able to eat whatever they want — without judgment,” Beth argues. I’ll admit, it is satisfying to see Burger King on the receiving end of the type of vitriol that women face on a regular basis. Maybe it finally learned its lesson! Redemption is a Whopper best served hot, I suppose. [Arizona Lies]( Welp, I fear this is the prequel for the Big Lie 2.0: Erika D. Smith [says]( Trump supporters in Arizona are already laying the groundwork to disrupt the November election. “Officials are dealing with a new wave of lawsuits challenging voting laws and procedures,” she writes. One such law, recently upheld by the US Supreme Court, says the state must reject voter registration forms submitted without [proof of US citizenship](. This presents a major problem for the thousands of Native American voters in Arizona: “Many of the people who live on reservations don’t have birth certificates — and many more don’t have addresses,” Erika explains. “They’re people like Helen Minigoat, 68, a lifelong resident of Navajo Nation in Arizona’s windswept north who decided to become a registered voter for the first time in her life to support Harris.” Although Minigoat was able to show a Democratic organizer the Social Security number and birthdate she has tattooed­ on her arm — who is this diva! — many others won’t have proof of citizenship (literally) on hand. “Failing to take these threats seriously in Arizona or anywhere else in the US could give the ‘Big Lie’ another lease on life,” Erika writes. Elsewhere in election lies, we have the actual candidates who are spreading mistruths about the economy. Although both Trump and Harris are hellbent on enacting tax cuts the country can’t afford, the man in the MAGA hat “takes financial recklessness to an entirely new level,” [writes]( Michael R. Bloomberg, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg LP (free read). “Tariffs mean trade wars, rising consumer prices and inflation for Americans, and likely economic contraction and job losses. It’s a recipe for disaster.” Telltale Charts It’s not just sanctions and inflation that are eating away at Iran’s economy: Marc Champion [says]( the country’s war-baiting Islamic Revolutionary Guard, which “nurtured Hezbollah into the missile-toting militia it has become,” is making matters worse. “Per capita gross domestic product almost halved in a decade, in raw dollar terms, to $4,503 at the end of 2023 from a peak of $8,329 in 2012, according to the World Bank,” he writes. Maybe everyone in Tampa should move to ... Texas? Sure, the Lone Star State is also [prone]( to climate change-induced disasters, but [what state isn’t]( these days? Conor Sen [says]( Texas “has [four of the top five]( metros for single-family housing construction in the US” and is “one of the few places where inventory levels [are now above]( 2019 levels, in part because it’s welcoming far fewer new residents from coastal cities.” The price is right, too: Further Reading 7-Eleven needs more than [a name change]( to stop a $47 billion takeover. — Chris Hughes This [Muslim-American woman]( is glad she didn’t run for reelection. — Frank Barry After Milton, lawmakers need to [fix Florida’s insurance]( crisis. — Jonathan Levin Xi Jinping has taken out an economic [insurance policy]( not a bazooka. — Mohamed A. El-Erian China’s “[anaconda strategy]( is slowly choking Taiwan. — Hal Brands [Separate votes]( are critical to keeping India united. — Mihir Sharma This was supposed to be [the year of the bond](. What happened? — Marcus Ashworth Big shifts in the [global economy]( are buoying Indonesia’s outlook. — Daniel Moss Digital freight brokers [tried AI]( and learned a costly lesson. — Thomas Black ICYMI Ethel Kennedy [passed away]( at age 96. Anderson Cooper got nailed by [flying debris](. A crane hit [The Tampa Bay Times]( building. Three Fed officials [shrugged off]( the CPI report. Kickers You can’t spell [Hamilton]( without “Milton.” [This is why]( you should never feed raccoons. [A Martha Stewart]( documentary? I’m seated. How is it [advent calendar season]( already? Notes: Please send [12 days of cheese]( and feedback to Jessica Karl at jkarl9@bloomberg.net. [Sign up here]( and follow us on [Threads]( [TikTok]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( and [Facebook](. Follow Us Stay updated by saving our new email address Our email address is changing, which means you’ll be receiving this newsletter from noreply@news.bloomberg.com. 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