Tesla Robotaxi vs Waymo: A Deep Dive into the Technological Paths and Business Strategies of Two Leading Autonomous Driving Companies

The two leaders in the self-driving car market, Tesla (Tesla), which focuses on AI pure vision systems and mass production strategies, and Waymo, which combines multi-sensor fusion technology with high-precision maps and has implemented commercial operations in multiple cities, are seizing the AI self-driving market with entirely different technological routes and business strategies. As Tesla announces the launch of its first Robotaxi test fleet, this showdown in the field of self-driving cars enters a new phase. This article will outline the differences between the two sides in terms of technical architecture, operational strategies, and break down their respective advantages and challenges.

TSL has the advantage of rapid optimization and expansion, while Waymo possesses mature technology and safety guarantees.

Tesla Robotaxi uses a pure vision system with 8 cameras, with hardware costs around $30,000 to $50,000, far lower than Waymo's $150,000 to $200,000. Moreover, its global fleet has accumulated over 4.828 billion kilometers, a data scale far exceeding Waymo's 35.4 million kilometers. In addition, TSL relies on end-to-end neural networks and OTA updates, providing advantages in rapid optimization and large-scale expansion.

( Note: OTA stands for Over The Air, which allows software upgrades for vehicles remotely via the internet. )

In contrast, Waymo employs a multi-sensor fusion technology with 4 LiDARs, 13 cameras, and 6 radars, coupled with high-precision maps and multi-layered backup safety mechanisms, achieving Level 4 autonomous driving standards, capable of operating around the clock in multiple cities, with advantages in safety assurance and technological maturity.

Overall, TSL is pursuing a low-cost, high-expansion route, while Waymo emphasizes safety and robust commercialization, each occupying different market positions.

Waymo's operational strategy outperformed TSL, and Robotaxi still needs time to scale up.

In terms of operational strategy, Waymo currently has a significant advantage. Waymo has been providing all-weather, fully autonomous taxi services in several cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, with a fleet size of about 1,500 vehicles, accumulating over 10 million rides. It also allows public bookings, covering an area of 95.83 square kilometers, which is about 1/3 of Taipei City, and has collaborated with Uber to integrate the ride-hailing platform, showing mature operations and stable scale.

Compared to Robotaxi, the initial small-scale trial operation deploys about 10 Model Ys, with service hours from 06:00 to 24:00, and must have safety personnel on board. The service area and fleet size are much smaller than Waymo, and currently, rides are available by invitation only. Although Tesla plans to expand the fleet to 1,000 vehicles within a few months and launch a dedicated Cybercab in 2026, reaching large-scale commercialization in the short term still requires effort.

TSL has significantly fewer incidents compared to Waymo, but the data source may be unreliable.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Tesla's FSD system has about 0.15 accidents per million kilometers, while Waymo has about 1.16. The data shows that Tesla's accident rate is about one-seventh that of Waymo. On the surface, Tesla appears to be safer; however, some foreign media have pointed out that Bloomberg's data has significant issues.

Tesla only compiles statistics related to "incidents involving airbag deployment," and its data source is limited to the vehicle's remote communication status, which means that some incidents are not recorded. In contrast, Waymo's data covers all police-reported incidents, making it broader in scope.

The foreign media also cited a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), stating that Tesla does not have a complete grasp of all accidents involving the autonomous driving assistance system (Autopilot), with only about 18% of police-reported accidents involving airbag deployment, suggesting that Tesla's accident rate may be higher. Therefore, there are allegations that Bloomberg's comparative data is misleading to the public, and Tesla and Elon Musk (Elon Musk) strongly promote this data on social media, but the actual situation is much more complex.

Robotaxi needs to overcome regulatory hurdles, Waymo has regulatory advantages moving towards global expansion.

Regarding regulation, Waymo has obtained regulatory approval in multiple states due to its mature technology and safety assurances. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved Waymo's expansion of driverless services to more areas of San Francisco this May, executing over 250,000 paid trips weekly, while actively collaborating with Toyota (Toyota) to expand international markets and technological applications.

In contrast, while Tesla Robotaxi plans to start service this year in California and Texas, it is still limited by regulatory review, with services restricted to a testing mode accompanied by safety personnel, and has not yet obtained formal permission for autonomous driving on the road. According to the regulations of the California Vehicle Management Bureau, commercial self-driving cars must complete millions of kilometers of testing, and Tesla has not applied for autonomous taxi testing permission since 2019, with regulatory obstacles still in place.

(TSL Robotaxi quietly hits the road, Musk: plans to expand to a thousand vehicles within months )

This article Tesla Robotaxi vs. Waymo: A detailed look at the technology routes and business layouts of the two major self-driving leaders first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.