VW-Uber Robotaxi Deal & Bezos-Backed Slate Auto’s EV Entrance Challenge Tesla

“Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get.”

This quote by Forrest Gump in the movie by the same name perfectly encapsulates the unpredictability of life, especially his life.

It’s also quite apt when describing the past few months (and more) for Elon Musk and Tesla, his electric vehicle (EV) company.

Aside from the backlash Musk received for being on the winning side of the U.S. presidential elections that drove Tesla’s stocks, sales and profit down—shares plunged 36% in Q1-2025, sales plummeted 20% (Jan-Mar 2025), and profits dropped a staggering 71% (Jan-Mar 2025)—Musk faced massive criticism for his moves with DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency).

Yet, these developments didn’t thwart the company’s expansion plans, as it finally ventured into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Unfortunately, this too was marred by challenges, competition, and controversy, which came in the form of low EV infrastructure, Chinese rival automakers, and previous feuds with the governor of the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, among other issues.

Tesla is also looking to expand to other Asian countries, such as India—plans that may be delayed owing to ongoing tariff wars. Even though Tesla sees the country as a hot market, the 100% tariffs imposed on automobiles could make customers anxious about purchasing Teslas.

While Tesla awaits better days, its rival VinFast is accelerating plans to open its car assembly plant in India’s Tamil Nadu by the end of June 2025. The Vietnam-based EV maker is opting to increase its focus on Indian, Indonesian, and Philippine markets.

However, Tesla’s dreams of expansion aren’t just running into roadblocks regionally but also industrially, as other automakers are entering the already competitive robotaxi sector in the United States.  

Volkswagen And Uber Robotaxi Partnership

Through a news release published on its website, German carmaker Volkswagen announced that it was partnering with Uber Technologies, that would see the two companies deploy a fleet of thousands of all-electric, fully autonomous ID. Buzz AD vehicles across various U.S. markets over the next decade.

The deal will be made through Volkswagen Group of America Inc.’s autonomous mobility subsidiary, Volkswagen ADMT.

While commercial deployment is expected to come in 2026, starting in Los Angeles, testing will commence later this year and will include human operators onboard to help refine the technology and ensure safety.  Safety will be instrumental, as each testing phase will only proceed after approvals.


The move will be powered by MOIA, a Volkswagen-owned autonomous mobility brand, which will provide its integrated autonomous driving solutions and software-based systems.

“Through our work with Uber, we’ll introduce the ID. Buzz, the reimagined version of the iconic Microbus in all-electric form, to a growing number of riders in the years to come,” said Kjell Gruner, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America.

“This collaboration marks a significant milestone in the advancement of autonomous mobility, and highlights both Volkswagen’s and Uber’s shared dedication to building the future of transportation,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber. “We can’t wait to launch in Los Angeles late next year."

Volkswagen has been working on its self-driving technology for over a decade and is close to seeing its fruition in the U.S.

The company also presented three concept cars—ID. AURA, ID. ERA, and ID. EVO—made specifically for the Chinese market. The three vehicles represent a new generation of smart electric vehicles, and are a drop compared to the over 30 new models (including 20 NEVs) VW plans to bring out in the Chinese market by the end of 2027. 


VW’s new moves will not only challenge Tesla’s robotaxi plans—which Tesla is doubling down on by hastening its launch—but also its EV plans.

Although VW’s new EV concepts are built for the Chinese market, that doesn’t mean Tesla is safe in the EV sector in the U.S. The dwindling sales and profit margins are set to see worse days, as a new player enters the market.  

Slate Auto Debuts

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos-backed Slate Auto has just entered the EV chat.

The USP of this truck isn’t just that it promises to be affordable with a planned launch price of below $20,000 (with the federal EV tax credit) expected to be available by 2026-end. It’s also expected to be highly customizable.

How customizable?

Customers are offered a wide range of choices across categories that span body style (it can transform from a two-seater pickup to a five-seater SUV), color (which can be fully or partially wrapped), decals, exterior components, wheels, tires, doors & windows, dashboard, Slatelets (the badge on the vehicle), audio & technology, and a variety of interior accessories and more.


All this goes well with the company dialogue “We Built It. You Make It.”—which is plastered across its website.

Speaking about the website, its home page is reminiscent of a vintage racing game, where players scroll through several looks and styles of vehicles before picking theirs. It’s pretty similar when purchasing a Slate vehicle, by the looks of it.

It all begins with style #1 of 25 (so far), which is aptly named “The Blank Slate” because “It's a Slate. A radically simple electric pickup truck that can change into whatever you need it to be—even an SUV.”

The remaining styles are named: The Professional, The Vintage, Beach Bound, Petal To The Metal, Posted Up, Surf Break, Lucky 77, The Doer, Check Out My Highlights, The Weekender, Quiet Power, Highway Hero, Mud Master, Grit And Grind, The Builder, Night Watch, Moving Day, Stellar Strider, The Snow Dog, Kind Of A Big Teal, Street Smarts, The Stargazer, The DJ Set, and The Cherry Bomb.

Of course, these styles are only templates/examples of what one can customize their vehicle with. Using them as a starting point, users can further personalize their ride as per their choice.

“This is the blank Slate. A vehicle in its essential form. We love it. Every detail is designed to make it less cluttered and more usable. If you love it too, great—don’t change a thing. If the blank Slate isn't your thing, that’s OK, too.  The blank Slate is your canvas. You can wrap, accessorize, and transform it to make it yours. We’re focused on making that easy, not expensive,” reads the website.

Ahead of this, robotaxi leader Waymo, which is owned by Google parent Alphabet, says it may soon offer its self-driving robotaxis for people to own—a move that only further complicates Tesla’s problems.

Do you think Tesla could lose its position in the EV market to these new emerging automakers? Do you think its robotaxi dream is in danger before even getting started?

Let us know in the comments below!