TechCrunch Mobility: The ‘robot army’ argument

The TechCrunch Mobility newsletter highlights recent developments and discussions in the autonomous vehicle and electric vehicle sectors. A recent poll among readers revealed that longer-haul delivery is considered the most promising business model for autonomous vehicle technology, receiving 40% of votes, followed by robotaxis at 25.5%, licensing tech to automakers at 19.1%, and last-mile delivery at 14.9%. The newsletter also notes that warehouse applications like autonomous forklifts were not included in the poll but warrant further exploration. A significant focus is on Elon Musk’s controversial argument during Tesla’s Q3 earnings call, where he framed his proposed $1 trillion compensation package as a means to maintain control over Tesla’s “robot army,” specifically referencing the Optimus robot program. Musk emphasized his concern about having strong influence over autonomous technologies, positioning control as more critical than the monetary value of the package. This stance comes amid shareholder votes and opposition from proxy advisers Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, who have recommended rejecting the