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

Trendingnow

1

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

2

Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup

3

Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX

1

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026

2

Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup

3

Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
Tesla

The next market Tesla could disrupt in the future is flying cars, Morgan Stanley predicts

Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 3, 2025, 8:18 AM ET
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks alongside U.S. President Donald Trump to reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on May 30, 2025 in Washington, DC.
It's still up in the air as to whether Elon Musk might one day decide to try Tesla's luck at flying cars. His SpaceX company does have expertise in aeronautics.Kevin Dietsch—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
  • Visionary entrepreneur Elon Musk might be tempted to solve the problem of commercializing air taxies, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, argued Morgan Stanley autos Analyst Adam Jonas.

Most Tesla stock analysts tend to focus predominantly on the company’s core car business when valuing the company—but not so Adam Jonas. 

Recommended Video

In his latest research note, the Morgan Stanley bull argued Tesla could leverage its expertise in artificial intelligence, batteries and manufacturing to enter the fledgling market for air taxies, also known as electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs).

For years these aircraft have been predicted to revolutionize urban transport, but so far even leading providers like Archer Aviation are still in development. Last week, its Midnight prototype, which is scheduled for its first deliveries later this year to the Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi, successfully completed a piloted flight test.

While Jonas believes solving this technological problem is exactly the kind of challenge Tesla engineers love to tackle, he acknowledged that Tesla, while not refuting the idea outright, said it was stretched too thin to seriously contemplate an eVTOL.

“In our opinion, that’s a decidedly different type of answer,” he wrote to clients, according to a report by Teslarati. “Is Tesla an aviation/defense-tech company in auto/consumer clothing?”

Fortune could not independently verify Jonas’ comments and Tesla did not respond to a request for a statement.

White House wants the U.S. to lead in eVTOLs

The Trump administration is likewise interested in supporting the emergence of flying cars as a mode of transportation.

“eVOTLs [sic] are going to fundamentally transform how the public travels. Let’s make sure the U.S. leads the way,” transportation secretary Sean Duffy posted on Monday.

At present the eVTOL market could use any help it can get. Many promising startups including Lilium and Volocopter ran into financial difficulties before they could develop a commercially viable service. 

Part of the problem is eVTOLs need to achieve very high safety standards while at the same time remaining fully autonomous, because scaling up the business typically means removing costly pilots from the equation. Nor can enough customers be found that possess a pilot license.

Whether Tesla would ever enter the market is debatable, though. 

On the one hand, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been clear about where his focus lies. All attention is currently on its autonomous ride hailing fleet set to begin operations this month in Austin; the commercialization of its prototype CyberCab dedicated robotaxi; and bringing the Optimus humanoid robot to market. 

Jonas sees growing threat to Tesla’s EV business from China

On the other, Musk is a chameleon who not only pivoted Tesla from its EV focus to AI-enabled robotics, but also convinced shareholders that staying invested will eventually pay off handsomely once he commercializes his prototype droid Optimus. Moreover aeronautics is the chief expertise of Musk’s other main company, SpaceX, allowing for a potential collaboration. 

Jonas’ eVTOL idea isn’t the first time he’s openly suggested a new business idea that could capture the imagination of investors. The Morgan Stanley auto analyst once argued to clients that Tesla should consider taking on Apple in the lucrative smartphone market.

Recently he has become increasingly concerned about the growing competitive threat posed by Chinese EV brands, whose offerings like the Xiaomi YU7 crossover potentially offers superior value-for-money than Tesla’s own rival Model Y—or any other western competitor.

“China may have already won the EV battle,” Jonas wrote late last month, adding this “explains why Tesla is moving away from ‘car’ and going all-in on autonomy.”

About the Author
Christiaan Hetzner
By Christiaan HetznerSenior Reporter
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Christiaan Hetzner is a former writer for Fortune, where he covered Europe’s changing business landscape.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

Top CD rates from major banks June 17, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on June 17, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
1 hour ago
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
Personal FinanceOil
Current price of oil as of June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
1 hour ago
Abhinav Agarwal and Jenny Duan
Startups & VentureBiotech
Exclusive: A 21-year-old Stanford grad just raised $11 million to put a hormone lab on your wrist
By Lily Mae LazarusJune 17, 2026
1 hour ago
Karta founders Orlando Espinoza and Freddy Juez smile at the camera while holding up Karta cards.
Startups & VentureCompanies
Exclusive: Karta raises $15 million to bring WhatsApp-run U.S. credit cards to global travelers
By Camila Grigera NaónJune 17, 2026
1 hour ago
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Personal Financesilver
Current price of silver as of Wednesday, June 17, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 17, 2026
2 hours ago
An executive team together in a conference meeting room in contemporary modern office.
NewslettersCFO Daily
CFO pay surged 8% last year—and long-term incentives now account for 63% of the average package
By Sheryl EstradaJune 17, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 16, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
Success
Team USA star Ricardo Pepi grew up in a trailer in El Paso—and his parents pawned their car title to fuel his soccer dream. Now, he’s in the World Cup
By Preston ForeJune 15, 2026
2 days ago
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
AI
Cursor’s 25-year-old CEO is a former Google intern who just cemented a $60 billion deal with SpaceX
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
1 day ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 15, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 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.