Tesla's car margins recover, but spending on AI and robotics absorbs the gain

Tesla's third quarter showed its vehicle business regaining some per-car profitability even as total sales stalled, while the company's push into AI, robotaxis, and humanoid robots consumed most of the improvement. Revenue was roughly flat year on year at US$28.05 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, and operating income fell 56% to US$718 million, leaving an operating margin of 2.6% against 5.8% a year earlier.