For years, Tesla’s self-driving ambitions have attracted widespread skepticism. Wall Street analysts questioned the regulatory landscape, critics mocked Tesla’s camera-based approach, and competitors clung to lidar technology. Yet for the steadfast believers in Tesla’s vision, the long-awaited breakthrough in autonomous driving—specifically robotaxis—may be on the horizon. As Dillon Loomis, a Tesla advocate, put it: “When Tesla starts deploying robotaxis and things start scaling quickly, it’s going to be an incredibly vindicating moment for so many people.”

The Early Skepticism

Tesla’s autonomous vehicle ambitions have faced hurdles not just from technical challenges but also from external perceptions. Wall Street has long been critical, emphasizing the regulatory complexities that loom over mass deployment. Analysts often argued that without the implementation of lidar, a laser-based detection technology employed by rivals like Waymo, Tesla’s vision for a future populated by robotaxis would remain a pipe dream. Tesla’s reliance on a camera-based system—championed by CEO Elon Musk—was dismissed by many as inadequate for ensuring the necessary level of safety.

Years of mockery from the media added to the doubt. Loomis highlighted how the technology was portrayed as dangerous, with influencers paid by traditional automakers to implicitly or explicitly promote inferior technologies. “Years of Wall St. analysts saying the regulatory hurdles are too great and it’s not possible without lidar,” he said, reflecting on how many wrote off Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology before it even had a chance to prove itself.

The Turning Point for Investors

For Tesla’s early investors, the journey has been particularly turbulent. The excitement around Tesla’s FSD has led to frequent surges in stock prices, followed by emotional sell-offs from those hoping for quicker gains. Loomis notes, “Years of $TSLA investors FOMOing into the stock expecting monotonic appreciation and then quickly selling and then speaking negatively about Tesla out of emotion thanks to their own unrealistic expectations.”

However, for the investors who took the time to dive deep into Tesla’s technology stack and understand the nuances of why Tesla’s approach to autonomy is different, the potential upside has always seemed much greater. They believed in the long-term value of the company, well aware that robotaxis represented one of the largest potential profit centers for Tesla’s future.

This long-term thinking is echoed by Loomis, who, after following Tesla for years, believes that Tesla’s FSD deployment will create more than just financial gain. “It’s not just the $TSLA stock appreciation and lives changed financially,” he said, “but knowing you filtered through the noise and distractions and found the truth.”

The Path Forward: What Comes Next?

While no one can pinpoint exactly when Tesla’s robotaxi breakthrough will happen, Loomis and others in the Tesla community are confident that the moment of vindication is coming. “I don’t know when this moment is coming, but I’ve followed this company daily now for ‘work’ for nearly 5 years. Nothing in life is guaranteed, but I really have never felt more confident that Tesla is going to figure this out,” he says, reflecting on the immense progress the company has made in developing its FSD technology.

Tesla’s FSD software, which is already available in a beta format, has been met with mixed reactions. While some users have praised its ability to handle complex driving situations, Loomis admits that it’s “not ready yet” and that there is still “a lot of challenging work” ahead. This honesty about the current limitations of FSD, however, does little to dampen the enthusiasm of the Tesla faithful.

As the technology continues to improve and Tesla inches closer to regulatory approval, the idea of millions of lives saved and countless hours returned to people, thanks to autonomous driving, becomes more tangible. “Years of the average consumer paying no attention to a technology that’s going to save millions of lives and give people thousands of hours back,” Loomis remarked, emphasizing how profound the impact of Tesla’s robotaxi deployment could be for society as a whole.

A Global Impact Beyond the Road

The excitement around Tesla’s future is not just about cars driving themselves. It’s about an ecosystem of autonomous transportation that could revolutionize cities, change economies, and improve global sustainability efforts. For Tesla employees, many of whom have spent countless hours refining the FSD system, and for investors who have remained loyal, the eventual deployment of Tesla’s robotaxi network represents more than just technological achievement—it’s the realization of a bold vision.

“And for the thousands of Tesla employees that have dedicated their lives and worked long, challenging hours under immense pressure that have been involved in any aspect of enabling Tesla’s FSD…,” Loomis wrote, giving credit to the workforce behind the scenes.

Vindication Is Coming

At the end of the day, it’s not just about winning on Wall Street or proving the naysayers wrong—it’s about the culmination of years of dedication, belief, and vision. As Tesla navigates regulatory hurdles and perfects its self-driving systems, those who have championed the company’s long-term vision believe their time of vindication is near. “To everyone who is on track to be on the right side of history with this one…cheers,” Loomis said.

For Tesla fans, investors, and employees, the launch of a fully operational robotaxi fleet will be a triumphant moment, one that confirms what they believed all along: Tesla’s approach to autonomy was the right one, even when the rest of the world didn’t see it.