"Tesla cannot afford a misstep with the robotaxi service," said Camelthorn Investments adviser Shawn Campbell, who owns Tesla shares. He added that "the wheels are coming off" its automotive business, with sales declines across "almost every market."

The fallout from Elon Musk's plunge into politics a year ago is still hammering his Tesla business as both sales and profits dropped sharply again in the latest quarter.

Tesla reportedly plans to launch its robotaxi service in San Francisco this weekend, marking progress in its autonomous vehicle goals.