• Home
  • News
  • Fortune 500
  • Tech
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Elon Musk just hinted at an incredible possible new product

By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Benjamin Snyder
Benjamin Snyder
Managing Editor
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 7, 2015, 4:18 PM ET
Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors, and chairman of SolarCity.
Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and product architect of Tesla Motors, and chairman of SolarCity.Photograph by Scott Olson — Getty Images

Elon Musk’s Tesla and Uber may be hitching a ride together one day in the future. That is, if Musk’s uncharacteristic silence during a call with investors was any indication.

Musk was reportedly asked about a partnership with Uber and waited six seconds to respond.

“I don’t think I should, uh, answer it,” Mashable reported him as saying during an earnings call.

The news comes after Steve Jurvetson, a Tesla board member, said that CEO Travis Kalanick would buy 500,000 autonomous cars from Tesla if the company made them by 2020.

Per Mashable, the conversation on the earnings call went like this:

During the call, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas asked Musk “is this a real business opportunity for Tesla, supplying cars for ride-sharing firms or does Tesla just cut out the middle man and sell on demand electric mobility services directly on its own platform?”

Musk responded with an excruciating six seconds of silence, before sheepishly saying Jonas’ was “an insightful question.”

“You don’t have to answer it,” replied Jonas.

“I don’t think I should, uh, answer it.”

Of course, this isn’t the only time that Musk has made, or hinted at, lofty claims about travel. His Hyperloop mode of transportation is, after all, getting closer to one day becoming a reality.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Steve Jurvetson as a board member of Uber.

About the Author
By Benjamin SnyderManaging Editor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Benjamin Snyder is Fortune's managing editor, leading operations for the newsroom.

Prior to rejoining Fortune, he was a managing editor at Business Insider and has worked as an editor for Bloomberg, LinkedIn and CNBC, covering leadership stories, sports business, careers and business news. He started his career as a breaking news reporter at Fortune in 2014.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.