Tesla just chose the easiest test they could find. By launching in Texas, where there are basically no rules, they’re avoiding the hard work that made Waymo actually reliable.
Here’s what’s really happening: Tesla is behind. Way behind. Waymo runs 250,000 rides per week because it spent years proving that its system works in California’s tough regulatory environment. Tesla has 10 cars because they’re just starting, but instead of building up slowly like Waymo did, Tesla is taking a massive shortcut.
This shortcut tells us about Tesla’s biggest weakness. Their cars only use cameras, whereas Waymo uses cameras AND LiDAR sensors. Think of it like trying to drive with one eye versus two eyes plus night vision goggles. Tesla claims their approach is better,r but it’s really just cheaper. Now they’re letting paying customers discover the limitations.
The timing tells us everything about Tesla’s desperation. Car sales are dropping and they’ve been promising self driving cars for years without delivering. Robotaxis are their last ditch effort to prove they’re still an AI company worth their sky-high stock price.
However, the dangerous part is if Tesla succeeds by cutting corners while Waymo struggles to grow with their careful approach, it sends a terrible message. Other companies might think ‘why bother with safety testing when Tesla just skipped it?’
Tesla is essentially running a live experiment on public roads with paying passengers. If it works, they’ll look like geniuses. If someone gets hurt, it could set back the entire self driving industry for years.
The real question isn’t whether Tesla can launch a robotaxi service. It’s whether they can do it safely enough to avoid the kind of accident that would kill public trust in self-driving vehicles forever. They’re betting their company’s future on unproven technology in an unregulated market and we’re all along for the ride.
