🔥 Tesla, AI5 Starts with Robots… The Gap Between the Stock Price and Long-Term Conviction - 2026.09.21

Now, now~ The key point Onion focused on today is that Tesla’s next stage may not be confined to automobiles. The AI5 chip is reportedly likely to be used first in Optimus and AI-training supercomputers rather than vehicles, while an assessment also emerged that Tesla’s stock underperformed the major technology-stock group in 2026. The closing price on September 18 was $364.27, the change was -0.53%, and trading volume was 51,819,200, showing that a gap remains between technological expectations and the stock’s current trajectory.

AI5 Comes Before Cars: Robots and Supercomputers First 🚀

Samsung reportedly began trial production of Tesla’s AI5 chip at its Texas plant on September 17, 2026, with full-scale production targeted for 2027 ^[2]. According to Elon Musk, AI5’s initial applications are expected to be Optimus robots and Tesla’s AI-training supercomputers rather than customer vehicles, while the current AI4 chip is considered sufficient for FSD safety ^[2].

What matters here is that a chip-generation change does not immediately translate into a vehicle-sales story. Rather than new chips going into cars first, robots and training infrastructure are taking the front row. This is precisely where Tesla becomes difficult to explain in the single sentence that it is an electric-vehicle company. Still, the introduction of initial applications and production targets is a different matter from confirming actual business results. They say a chip is the heart, but having a heart does not automatically produce a marathon record.

FSD Updates: How They’re Verified Matters More Than Expectations

A video covering the changes in FSD 14.3.10 has also been released. The content introduces the changes mainly through FSD driving records and Tesla vehicle functions ^[3]. However, based only on the information provided, it is not possible to confirm which functions improved and by how much, or whether those changes translated into business results.

So the significance of this material lies less in presenting new figures than in showing that Tesla’s autonomous-driving story continues to be evaluated through software updates and actual driving records. If AI5 symbolizes future computing power, FSD 14.3.10 looks more like a test paper asking what results the current software produces. The test paper is out, but the grading sheet has not arrived yet.

The Gap Between Long-Term Conviction and the Current Trend 📈

Fool.com introduced the view that Cathie Wood did not sell ARK Invest’s core Tesla stake in 2026 even though Tesla’s stock underperformed other names in the major technology-stock group. It also discusses why her multi-year conviction in Tesla has not weakened ^[1].

This is not a company-confirmed plan or earnings report, but content showing an outside investor’s long-term perspective. Therefore, its significance is clear, but so are its limitations. Someone continuing to hold a position does not prove Tesla’s technological execution or cash flow. Conversely, it does reveal that the market’s current assessment of the automotive business and its future expectations for robotics and AI are moving on different timelines.

Onion’s Macro-Style Conclusion ☕

From an aggressive investor’s perspective, the fact that AI5’s initial applications are Optimus and supercomputers provides material that broadens Tesla’s expansion narrative. Onion believes the bullish scenario will become clearer when three axes come together: the AI5 production target, the actual changes from FSD updates, and whether long-term conviction translates into business performance.

However, what has been confirmed so far is trial production and a target for full-scale production in 2027, an introduction of software changes, and one outside investor’s decision to keep holding. The question that remains is simple. Will the strategy of using AI5 outside vehicles first lead to actual changes in products and profitability, or will it remain another narrative built on expectations?