Tesla shares slip 0.9% amid renewed EU self-driving focus

By Al Root Tesla stock dropped early Wednesday, after three days of gains, as investors' attention turns back to European self-driving regulations. Shares of the electric-vehicle maker were down 0.9% at $377.30, while S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were down 0.3% and 0.5%, respectively. The drop comes as Tesla didn't respond to a request for comment. FSD is available in the U.S. and costs drivers $99 a month. The technology has steadily improved and can do most of the driving most of the time. It still requires the human driver to be paying attention. Tesla ended the second quarter with about 1.5 million people paying for FSD, and the company says "attach rates," or the number of Tesla buyers opting for FSD at the time of purchase, are improving. FSD was approved in the Netherlands earlier in 2026, setting off a process for EU-wide approval. However, an October vote on the technology was recently pushed back to December. Approval means more FSD subscription revenue for Tesla. It also means another win for its self-driving technology. Eventually, Tesla plans to offer robo-taxi service in Europe, as it does in the U.S. Robo-taxi expansion is critical for Tesla stock. Investors believe AI-trained robo-taxis will open a new era of earnings growth for the company. Tesla isn't alone in its self-driving ambitions. Alphabet's Waymo is arguably the U.S. leader. It is borrowing $5 billion, Waymo didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the capital raise. Fully autonomous cars are on roads in several countries. The technology works, and robo-taxis are expected to be cheaper than owning a personal vehicle for many. Now, investors have to determine how much of personal transportation will be served by self-driving cars and which company will become the dominant supplier of the service. Write to Al Root at allen.root@barrons.com. This content was created by Barron's, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. Barron's is published independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. (END) Dow Jones Newswires October 07, 2026 08:02 ET (12:02 GMT) Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. The statements in this document shall not be considered as an objective or independent explanation of the matters. Please note that this document (a) has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research, and (b) is not subject to any prohibition on dealing ahead of the dissemination or publication of investment research.