Key Takeaways
- Tesla plans to launch its robotaxi service in June.
- CEO Elon Musk said he expects the platform to dominate the market.
- However, the former CEO of Waymo pointed out that Tesla has a long way to go to catch up.
Elon Musk fired shots at robotaxi rival Waymo during Tesla’s earnings call on Wednesday, April 23, prompting a sharp response from former Waymo CEO, John Krafcik.
“Tesla has never competed with Waymo,” Krafcik retorted, suggesting that until the company delivers a working product, Musk’s bluster is all talk.
Waymo vs. Tesla Competition
In the five years since Waymo launched its driverless taxi service, the Google spinoff has operated almost completely without competition in the American market.
However, Tesla is preparing to launch its highly anticipated rival service this year.
During Wednesday’s earnings call, Musk reaffirmed plans to offer Tesla’s first paid robotaxi rides in Austin this June.
Asked how he viewed Tesla’s offering vis-à-vis Waymo, Musk was dismissive of the latter’s business model.
Musk Slams Waymo
The problem with Waymo’s specially-equipped Jaguar I-PACE vehicles, Musk told investors, is that they “cost way more money” due to their “expensive sensor suite.”
In contrast, Tesla’s in-house production and software-focused approach to autonomous driving will be much cheaper to scale, Musk argued.
In the long run, he predicted that Tesla’s robotaxi platform will have “99% market share or something ridiculous.”
John Krafcik Fires Back
In comments reported by Business Insider, Krafcik, who led Waymo until 2021, pointed out that despite promising to deliver its robotaxi for years, Tesla still hasn’t proven it can succeed in the space.
“Tesla has never competed with Waymo — they’ve never sold a robotaxi ride to a public rider,” he noted.
“Although Tesla hopes to compete with Waymo someday, they’ve failed utterly and completely at this for each of the 10 years they’ve been talking about it,” he added.
James Morales is CCN’s blockchain and crypto policy reporter. He has been working in the news media since 2020, writing about topics such as payments, banking and financial technology. These days, he likes to explore the latest blockchain innovations and the evolving landscape of global crypto regulation.
With an educational background in social anthropology and media studies, James uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.
