Investor Gene Munster of Deepwater Asset Management thinks that Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) shares could rally after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced it was probing the Elon Musk-led EV maker’s plans to deploy 1,000 units of the Cybercab in Austin.

A Bullish Scenario for Tesla’s Self-Driving Efforts

“I think $TSLA is up tomorrow on the NHTSA detail that Tesla is ready to roll out 1k Cybercabs in Austin,” the investor said in a post on the social media platform X on Monday. The investor then pointed to his earlier prediction that the EV giant would deploy 300 Cybercabs in Austin by the end of the month.

“That’s bullish for the stock because it shows Tesla’s confidence in safety is higher than most thought,” he said, referring to the 1,000 Cybercab unit goal, adding that it was “particularly positive given Elon’s history of paranoia on the topic.”

Munster then expressed optimism about the NHTSA probe, calling it a “speed bump” for Musk. “They’ll eventually give in, then it’s off to races,” the investor said.

On September 3, NHTSA initiated an Audit Query on Tesla’s Cybercab fleet to determine if the vehicles were in compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) despite lacking traditional controls like a steering wheel and pedals.

“NHTSA is opening this AQ to examine the process and technical data on which Tesla relied when certifying the Cybercab and related issues,” the agency said in the Audit Query.

Ross Gerber’s Warning

Investor Ross Gerber, who is the co-founder of investment firm Gerber Kawasaki, issued a warning to Tesla owners as Musk plans an Airbnb Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) and Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) inspired business model for Tesla’s robotaxi network.

Gerber had earlier backed the Cybercab, saying that the vehicle was not “ugly” like its counterpart from Alphabet Inc.‘s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Waymo robotaxi.

According to Benzinga Edge Rankings, Tesla scores moderately on the Growth and Quality metrics, but offers poor Value and Momentum. TSLA also fails to provide a favorable price trend in the Short, Medium and Long term.

Price Action: TSLA shares fell 0.47% to $352.42 during pre-market trading on Tuesday.

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