Tesla’s Production vs. Waymo’s Safety: A New Chapter in the Driverless Car Rivalry

In a recent exchange that has amplified the rivalry between Tesla and Waymo, John Krafcik, the founder of Waymo, pushed back against Elon Musk’s assertions during Tesla’s latest earnings call.

Musk claimed that Tesla would dominate the autonomous driving market, predicting that the company would capture “90-something percent” of the market share.

Krafcik, however, pointed to a decade of unfulfilled promises from Tesla regarding operational self-driving vehicles, emphasizing Waymo’s position as a market leader.

Tesla’s Robotaxi Promises Face Scrutiny as Waymo Leads the Way

Musk underscored Tesla’s production capabilities, arguing that their vehicles are manufactured at a significantly lower cost than Waymo’s retrofitted cars, which he characterized as expensive due to their sensor suites.

Krafcik countered this, suggesting that while Waymo’s vehicles might carry higher initial costs, the expense of sensors becomes trivial over the life of a robotaxi, considering the safety benefits they provide.

The conflict escalates when looking at operational metrics. Waymo currently handles over 250,000 self-driving rides per week, while Tesla is poised to launch a mere 10 to 20 vehicles for their limited geo-fenced service in Austin.

This raises questions about Tesla’s assertion of safety, especially given that their rides have been supervised by human drivers, which does not inherently prove greater safety than human-operated vehicles.

Krafcik has cast doubt on Tesla’s self-driving ambitions, pointing out that the automaker has never sold a robotaxi ride to the public despite a decade of claims. Meanwhile, Tesla’s recent trips—1,500 completed with employee supervision—have not demonstrated sufficient performance metrics to validate Musk’s confidence in surpassing Waymo.

As the competition heats up, it seems Waymo is on a trajectory to widen its lead, leaving Tesla to bridge a considerable gap in both operation and credibility when it comes to autonomous vehicle deployment.