Tesla shares rose more than 5% on Friday after reports emerged that SpaceX is in preliminary discussions to merge with Tesla or xAI ahead of SpaceX’s planned mid-2026 IPO. Investors have viewed these talks as evidence that Elon Musk may consolidate his technology empire into a single publicly traded vehicle. Analysts note that a combined entity could be valued at roughly $2.6 trillion, potentially unlocking synergies such as Tesla’s Powerwall and Megapack energy storage systems supporting SpaceX orbital data centers and Starlink ground stations. Market participants also see the deal as a way to fund Tesla’s ambitious $20 billion capital expenditure plan for robotaxi and Optimus robot development without burdensome debt issuance, while providing Tesla shareholders direct exposure to SpaceX’s projected $22–24 billion revenue run rate in 2026.

On the heels of its fourth-quarter earnings call, Tesla filed trademark applications for the names “Cybercar” and “Cybervehicle” at 7:32:54 p.m. ET and 7:33:31 p.m. ET, respectively. These filings come after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office refused Tesla’s Robotaxi application on the grounds that the term is too generic, and blocked its earlier Cybercab claim because Tesla did not file until after publicly announcing the name. The company has now filed at least five trademark claims—including Robotaxi, Robobus, Cybercab, Cybercar and Cybervehicle—in the past year, reflecting growing urgency to secure branding for its autonomous-ride-hailing platform. However, regulatory restrictions in several states prohibit use of terms like “cab” or “taxi” without local approvals, and competing “Cyber” trademarks held by other entities have complicated Tesla’s path to registration.