The Austin push is planned for February, insiders told Business Insider. Tesla has been training Optimus in its Fremont factory for more than a year.

Tesla owners who want to retain access to features like Autosteer will now need to pay for the $99-per-month Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscription, or fork out $8,000 before February 14.

Tesla is ending Autopilot and steering customers toward higher-priced FSD subscriptions, signalling a major shift in its driver-assistance strategy.

The company is also currently facing a 30-day suspension of its manufacturing and dealer licenses in California for deceptive marketing about Autopilot's capabilities.

Tesla has faced challenges in the past. Its stock has dropped over 30% within less than 2 months on as many as eight separate occasions in recent years

Other Tesla vehicles also struggled to attract buyers, with sales of its X, S and Y models all sinking from the previous year.

Curiously, Tesla stock has trailed the market over the past five years. It doesn’t feel that way.

Empty robotaxis and long drives without interventions make some imagine Tesla FSD is ready to deploy. The math may say the reverse.