India, Dec. 17 -- Tesla shares moved sharply higher today, rising nearly 5% intraday, and trading up roughly 4% by midday, after CEO Elon Musk disclosed that the company is now testing robotaxis without safety monitors inside the vehicle. The move pushed TSLA to its highest level in nearly a year and brought the stock within reach of prior all-time highs.

While Tesla is still categorized as an electric-vehicle manufacturer, the market behavior increasingly suggests that investors no longer value the company primarily on vehicle deliveries, or near-term automotive margins. At approximately $1.5 trillion in market capitalization, Tesla's valuation reflects expectations around Full Self-Driving, robotaxis, Optimus humanoid robots, and the p...