Despite acknowledging a two-year gap between Tesla and Waymo in their autonomous driving programs, the electric car maker’s head of self-driving asserts that its cost advantage will enable it to scale more quickly?
Tesla’s head of AI and self-driving, Ashok Elluswamy, made a rare admission in an unguarded conversation: the company lags behind Waymo by a few years in autonomous driving innovations.
While observing the interview featuring Elluswamy and the host conversing in a mix of English and Tamil, non-native English speakers may find it challenging to follow. Nevertheless, it remains clear that the Tesla VP emphasizes their company’s delay relative to Waymo when discussing the latter’s distinct approach, as he mentions during his response.
Tesla’s autonomous driving technology is reportedly more cost-effective compared to Waymo’s approach. The host inquired whether his assertion that the offering is less expensive while maintaining “equally high quality” was accurate; the Tesla Vice President of Solutions replied:
Equal high quality. Technically, Waymo is already performing. We may be falling behind by two years.
While it’s logical to assume that this disparity will become evident to those observing closely, as Tesla still hasn’t had the capability to offer stage 4 autonomous driving experiences like Waymo has been providing for years.
Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are currently limited to a Stage 2 implementation, necessitating continuous monitoring and intervention by the driver at all times.
Despite this unusual concession, it’s an unprecedented admission from Tesla, given CEO Elon Musk has consistently downplayed Waymo’s advancements over the years, repeatedly stating that no one is close to rivaling Tesla in autonomous technology.
While Tesla is set to launch level-four autonomous transportation services in Austin next month, it’s worth noting that Waymo has already been offering similar services in the city, specifically since early this year.
While Tesla’s vehicles may appear more affordable than Waymo’s, various factors contribute to this disparity.
One key factor contributing to the high cost of autonomous vehicles has been the steep price tag of lidar sensors. While prices have decreased significantly, the real concern is their excessive energy consumption, outpacing even Tesla’s camera-based sensors.
While the disparity in automotive prices lies primarily in the fact that Tesla manufactures over one million vehicles annually, whereas Waymo produces only a few hundred units currently, with potential for several thousand more shortly. Waymo acquires vehicles directly from various manufacturers, seamlessly integrating its proprietary sensor suite and hardware.
Despite reaping the benefits of economies of scale, Tesla’s success is largely due to its ability to sell vehicles to customers who are willing to overlook the reality that its Full Self-Driving package fails to deliver on its name’s promise.
As part of its upcoming pilot program in Austin, Tesla will utilize the same vehicles delivered to customers. The new system will utilize cutting-edge software tailored specifically for use within a geofenced area of Austin, featuring seamless integration with teleoperation capabilities. While retaining the same hardware configuration, this optimized approach yields cost savings.
Electrek’s Take
Currently, it appears that the cost of operating restricted autonomous ride-hailing fleets such as Waymo’s is largely unrelated to the vehicles’ themselves.
While I agree that some degree of automation is likely involved in this process, it seems more accurate to describe it as a collaborative effort between humans and machines rather than “teleoperation.” In scenarios where a 1:10 ratio of one teleoperator to 10 vehicles exists, the operational costs are significantly reduced compared to a 1:1 ratio of teleoperator to vehicle.
While Waymo employs certain levels of teleoperation and Tesla intends to utilize an “advanced stage” of teleoperation, the details of each programme remain unclear.
While specific regulations and localized requirements serve as crucial constraints.
While Waymo’s system demonstrates efficacy, having completed over 250,000 paid rides per week across five markets, its continued expansion of geographic boundaries and entry into new markets with additional vehicles underscores the company’s clear lead in autonomous driving vis-à-vis Tesla.
Tesla will commence testing its autonomous driving technology alongside Waymo next month, initially deploying a fleet of 10-12 vehicles in the first market.
Without sufficient evidence, it appears uncertain whether Tesla will surpass Waymo’s capacity for rapid scaling. One tangible advantage is the provision of vehicles for deployment into a fleet. Despite Tesla’s numerous missteps, this is hardly a substantial obstacle for Waymo to overcome?
While Tesla may potentially leapfrog Waymo by deploying Stage 4 autonomy in its customer fleet, as it has long promised, I’m skeptical about this happening anytime soon.
Without further notice, I can safely deploy stage four autonomous driving features within our internal fleet in Austin next month through the strategic integration of advanced mapping technology, geofencing capabilities, and a high level of remote teleoperation, potentially including one-to-one teleoperation. I’d be joyous to be corrected instead.
