Invest in the 'Apple II Moment' for Autonomous Vehicles Editor’s Note: Tonight at 10 p.m. Eastern, Elon Musk is set to reveal the biggest launch of his career: the Robotaxi. This long-awaited reveal could turn science fiction into reality, making autonomous vehicles possible.
I know... you might be thinking a driverless car seems a little far-fetched. But so were personal computers (PCs) back in the 90s. Yet Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak made an entire market out of PCs, and the rest is history.
And as my InvestorPlace colleague, Luke Lango, recently explained in a special briefing earlier this week, autonomous driving is already becoming a reality. (And he even has the video of his own experience to prove it.) But with Tesla's event quickly approaching, this briefing won't be around for much longer. It is being taken down tonight, so this could be your last chance to check it out.
Now, you might be wondering, how can I profit from this? Today, Luke is going to explain how you can do just that. Take it away, Luke. Dear Reader, When Steve Jobs leapfrogged the entire computer industry to make Apple Inc. (AAPL), he managed to turn science fiction into reality. Eventually, Apple became one of the world’s most valuable companies... Because out-of-the-box computing was still more sci-fi than reality, there was NO market for personal computers when Apple’s early dynamic duo — Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak — set about to build the Apple I. The pair created the market. Both Jobs and Wozniak invented the Apple I for one simple reason — because they wanted a personal-use computer and the options at the time were impractical. In the mid-1960s, roughly half of all the world’s computers were IBM 1401s, which replaced bulky vacuum tubes with transistors. The 1401 was considered the Model T of computers because it sold well (for the time), producing 12,000 units and making the case for the computer as a general-purpose (as opposed to hobbyist) machine. However, the 1401 weighed about five tons all-in. It’s not exactly something Jobs and Woz could lug around to their friends’ houses. Then there was the Altair 8800, a DIY computer popular among hobbyists. In fact, it was the Altair from which Jobs and Woz drew inspiration for the Apple I. Their desire to build a computer that could make life easier for everyone led to the Apple II, the first true PC designed for consumers. Rather than weighing a literal ton or being packaged as a single board meant to be installed by folks with the know-how, the Apple II resembled an ordinary home appliance: Right out of the box, ordinary folks without strong technical knowledge, could be up and running in relatively little time. It was the world’s first truly customer-friendly, pre-assembled computer for the masses, and it set the stage for the computer industry to this day. Here’s Steve Wozniak reflecting on his time at Apple: Every single Apple project – computers, hard disks, everything – I had never designed those things ever in my life... I had no training in them, but I was so good at taking the little parts – like pieces of wood to build a building – that I could architect something that was perfect. And really better than the people that were used to doing it would do. Woz isn’t bragging here. He’s making an important point… While education and training are important, nothing is a substitute for unbridled creativity and innovation. Here’s Woz again: A person who knows how to take the little elements and build on them, and write the book of how you actually put them into play, a person who comes up with the ability to write the book, I think is better than someone who knows how to do it from past experience. I bring this up because, right now, the world’s most powerful companies are racing to develop top-tier artificial intelligence. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), Meta Platforms, Inc. (META) and others have invested billions in AI technologies. So far, they’ve mainly followed the established practice laid out by OpenAI... But there’s one company with foresight, patience, and commitment to innovation that could do for AI that Apple did for computing... The Transformational Launch Coming This Week You see, in just a few short days, Tesla Inc. (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk — the world’s richest man — will unveil a new AI-powered product that some believe could be as impactful as the iPhone, the Model 3, or the first PC. It’s called the Robotaxi. And it promises to shock the world. Reportedly, the vehicle will be a fully self-driving car, without any steering wheel or pedals. Early descriptions reveal that it’s likely to comprise a two-seat interior with a large center console. Musk says it will also have the lowest cost-per-mile of any transportation option. And supposedly, it will be accompanied by its own ride-hailing app (just like Uber), allowing customers to fetch autonomous rides in the Robotaxi at the push of a button. Now, if that all sounds like science fiction, that’s because it was born of it. But that’s what Elon Musk could do at his “We, Robot” event later this evening. That’s when he is expected to reveal the Robotaxi. He could turn science fiction into reality. And that’s what’s so exciting about this upcoming debut. It echoes Woz’s belief that those who “write the book” on new technologies are ultimately more valuable than those who follow established practices. And as we’ve outlined above, that’s when the magic happens. Profiting From Tesla's Exciting Debut Think about it… A mobile telephone that put the power of the internet into the palms of our hands, keeping us connected to everything anywhere we go? That surely sounded like science fiction back in the mid-2000s. Yet, Apple made it a reality with the iPhone – and in so doing, created a transformational product that fundamentally changed the world. When science fiction turns into reality, a sort of magic happens. The world is forever changed. And savvy investors are offered the opportunity to make potential fortunes. Elon Musk could do just that at the "We, Robot" event later this evening, around 10 p.m. Eastern. In so doing, he will bring much-needed publicity to all the exciting developments happening in the world of autonomous vehicles (AVs) right now. And that, my friends, could push a flood of money into AV stocks. The question is: When a revolutionary new product launches, what’s the best way to invest in its success? By buying shares of the company that created it, right? Maybe not. Just consider: Ever since Apple launched the first iPhone in June 2007, Apple stock has taken off like a rocket ship. It has risen more than 6,000% in value since that time. But do you know which stock the iPhone propelled even higher? Broadcom Inc. (AVGO) – an important Apple supplier. Its stock is up more than 16,000% since the first iPhone’s launch: Another great example is Tesla’s Model 3. Many consider it to be the most transformational electric vehicle (EV) – the car that really brought EVs to the mainstream. And, indeed, ever since its launch in July 2017, Tesla stock has absolutely soared, climbing about 1,500% higher. But to create such a world-changing new product, Tesla was using chips from another company, NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA), to power the Model 3’s unique Autopilot technology. And guess what? NVIDIA’s stock is up around 14,000% since that vehicle’s debut. You get the point. Sometimes, the best way to play a revolutionary new product launch is not to buy the stock of the headline company making the product. Often, it’s the suppliers that outperform. And that’s why I want to turn your attention to the next batch of potential superstar supplier stocks. The Supplier Stocks to Buy for the Robotaxi Launch Of course, if Robotaxi scales into a world-changing product over the next few years, TSLA stock will soar. But history suggests that certain supplier stocks could rise even more. To prepare for this potential watershed moment, I just held a special briefing to discuss important developments in the autonomous vehicle industry, the Robotaxi launch and unveiled a playbook of what I believe are some of the best AV tech supplier stocks to buy now. This event is centered around Robotaxi’s launch, but it’s about much more than that. It focuses on the groundbreaking autonomous vehicle revolution and, more importantly, how to potentially profit from it. But as we are mere hours away from Tesla's event, your window to watch my special briefing is closing. This could be your last chance to watch this, so join me now to prepare for this new era of transportation. Let’s make this launch work for us. Sincerely, |
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