Former Tesla President Sees Possible Tesla-SpaceX Combination

Former Tesla president Jon McNeill said Tesla and SpaceX could combine “sooner rather than later,” pointing to increasing overlap between the companies' engineering and artificial-intelligence operations, Deepti Sri reported for Stocktwits.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk oversees two companies whose technologies increasingly overlap in artificial intelligence, robotics and engineering.

McNeill said Tesla's upcoming Roadster demonstration could help revive excitement around the company's automotive business, which has increasingly focused on artificial intelligence, autonomy and robotics.

He suggested that a potential collaboration involving SpaceX technology could be part of a broader effort to bring Musk's companies closer together.

McNeill described the Roadster demonstration as a possible “not-so-hidden attempt” to further knit Tesla and SpaceX together. 

Tesla is also reportedly preparing to introduce its steering-wheel-free Cybercab to its Austin robotaxi operation this month. The company has been working to expand its autonomous-driving business while developing the redesigned Roadster.

McNeill's comments, however, represent his own prediction rather than confirmation that Tesla and SpaceX are preparing for a merger.