Tesla CEO Elon Musk has definitively ruled out the production of electric motorcycles, citing personal safety concerns even as his company’s Autopilot system faces scrutiny over its involvement in accidents with motorcyclists.
Musk recently reiterated his stance on social media platform X, stating that a Tesla motorcycle “never happening” because the company “can’t make motorcycles safe.”
His strong conviction stems from a grave personal accident in his youth. Musk has recounted previously nearly dying when a truck collided with him while he was riding a motorcycle.
The CEO distinguishes between different types of motorcycles. He clarified that his near-death experience occurred on a road bike.
“Dirt bikes are safe if you ride carefully, as you can’t be smashed by a truck,” Musk wrote, differentiating them from road vehicles.
Never happening, as we can’t make motorcycles safe.
For @CommunityNotes, my near death experience was on a road bike.
Dirt bikes are safe if you ride carefully, as you can’t be smashed by a truck.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 1, 2025
The entrepreneur’s focus on motorcycle safety carries an ironic undertone given the criticisms leveled against Tesla’s Autopilot system. This advanced driver-assistance technology has been linked to several fatal accidents involving collisions with motorcyclists.
Experts suggest Tesla’s camera-centric system may struggle to accurately identify motorcycles on the road. A common hypothesis is that the software might misinterpret a motorcycle’s close-set tail lights as those of a more distant car.
Despite Tesla’s absence from the segment, the electric motorcycle market continues to grow. Traditional manufacturers such as Honda, BMW, and Kawasaki are now introducing their first series-production models.
Smaller companies like Ryvid are also emerging to meet demand for accessible urban electric motorcycles. In Asia, major players like Yadea and NIU are saturating the market with affordable electric scooters, accelerating global adoption rates significantly faster than in the United States.