Dec. 15, 2025, 4:25 p.m. ET Tesla shares hit their highest in nearly a year on Monday after CEO Elon Musk said the electric-vehicle maker was testing its robotaxis without safety monitors in the front passenger seat. While much of Tesla’s $1.53 trillion valuation — the highest of any automaker globally — is tied to investor optimism around its self-driving technology and humanoid robot ambitions, the bulk of its revenue and profit still comes from selling electric vehicles. Shares of the company rose as much as 4.9%, hitting $481.37, their highest in nearly a year. The stock closed at $475.31. Tesla is testing its robotaxis without safety monitors in the front passenger seat. Above, a robotaxi in Austin, Texas. REUTERS The stock had hit a record high of $488.54 on Dec.18 last year on hopes that the Trump administration would ease regulatory hurdles for self-driving cars. Tesla launched a limited robotaxi service in Austin, Texas, in June using modified Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving. Early operations were geo-fenced and included a human “safety monitor” in the passenger seat. Explore More