The possibility of a merger between Elon Musk-led SpaceX and Tesla is emerging, TechCrunch reported on Thursday.

Tesla currently has a market value of about $1.26 trillion, the report said. Musk has stressed Tesla as an AI and robotics company. While most of its revenue comes from electric vehicle sales, some see a merger with SpaceX as a key step to realise that vision, TechCrunch reported.

SpaceX President and Chief Operating Officer Gwynne Shotwell (그윈 쇼트웰) also said in a CNBC interview there are some advantages to a merger, adding, "A merger could make Musk's life a little easier."

There are also signs SpaceX is already preparing for a merger. Ahead of a listing, SpaceX added new language related to mergers and acquisitions to the risk factors section of its S-1 filing. The sentence says it could issue a significant amount of stock in connection with future transactions, warning investors their stakes could be diluted. Some interpret it as aimed at Tesla, as such a warning is unnecessary for a small deal.

Musk has previously been active in integrating companies he owns. Earlier this year, SpaceX acquired Musk-founded AI company xAI. xAI had acquired Musk's social media company X through an all-stock exchange.