Tesla (TSLA) Stock: Robo-Taxis Shine While Waymo Goes Dark During Blackout

TLDR

• Tesla’s autonomous vehicles continued operating during Sunday’s San Francisco power outage while Waymo’s fleet stopped service
• Delaware Supreme Court reversed lower court decision and restored Elon Musk’s $56 billion 2018 compensation package
• Tesla stock gained 1.1% in premarket trading Monday to $486.50
• Waymo completes over 450,000 fully autonomous rides weekly across five cities without safety drivers
• Tesla operates robo-taxi service in Austin with safety monitors and tests in San Francisco with safety drivers

Tesla stock rose 1.1% in premarket trading Monday after the company scored wins in both autonomous vehicle operations and the courtroom.

Tesla, Inc., TSLA

The gains came as Tesla shares reached $486.50. The stock is up 19% year-to-date heading into Monday’s session.

A Sunday power outage in San Francisco knocked out electricity for roughly 130,000 homes and businesses. The blackout created an unplanned stress test for competing robo-taxi companies operating in the city.

Waymo paused operations during the outage. The company’s autonomous vehicles reportedly stopped in streets, unable to navigate intersections without functioning traffic lights. Waymo did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Tesla’s robo-taxis kept moving. CEO Elon Musk highlighted the contrast on X, noting his company’s vehicles operated normally throughout the blackout.

Technology Differences Between Competitors

The incident exposed fundamental differences in autonomous driving approaches. Waymo built its system specifically for robo-taxi operations, using detailed street mapping and expensive sensor arrays including lidar technology.

Tesla developed its autonomous features for consumer vehicles. The company’s Full Self-Driving system uses optical cameras and continues operating even when traffic infrastructure fails.

Tesla’s technology pays attention to its surroundings rather than relying on predetermined traffic light locations. Waymo vehicles appear programmed to recognize city infrastructure, potentially including logic that stops them at intersections where signals should exist.

Waymo currently operates driverless service in five cities. The company completes more than 450,000 fully autonomous rides each week without safety drivers or monitors.

Tesla launched robo-taxi service in Austin, Texas, in June with safety monitors in passenger seats. The company tests in San Francisco with safety drivers behind the wheel.

Court Restores Musk Compensation Package

The Delaware Supreme Court handed Musk another victory Sunday. Judges restored his 2018 CEO compensation plan valued at $56 billion.

A lower court previously ordered the package rescinded. The Supreme Court determined that remedy exceeded appropriate bounds.

The court reversed the cancellation and awarded $1 in nominal damages. This effectively reinstated the original 2018 compensation plan.

Shareholder Richard J. Tornetta filed the lawsuit. He claimed Musk and Tesla’s board violated fiduciary duties in approving the package.

The Supreme Court ruling resolves the compensation dispute. It leaves intact other Court of Chancery findings about Musk’s influence over Tesla and board approval process flaws.

Tesla relocated its incorporation from Delaware following the initial ruling. The company held a second shareholder vote to reaffirm Musk’s compensation.

Shareholders approved an even larger pay package in November 2025. The new compensation ties to aggressive performance targets over ten years.

Alphabet stock traded up 0.7% in premarket Monday at $309.32.

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