Former Waymo CEO on Tesla’s robotaxi launch: ‘there are many ways to fake a robotaxi service’
John Krafcik, Waymo’s long-time CEO until 2021 and auto industry veteran, explained why Tesla’s Cybercab won’t work in a new interview and went as far as suggesting that Tesla might ‘fake” its upcoming robotaxi launch in Austin in June.
Krafcik is a highly respected leader in the auto industry. He started his career as a mechanical engineer working at the NUMMi plant, then a GM-Toyota factory, but it is now owned by Tesla.
He spent 14 years at Ford, where he was chief engineer of the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator. He then moved to Hyundai America, where he was President for 5 years.
But Krafcik is mostly known for leading Waymo from 2015 to 2021 – helping it become the consensus leader in self-driving technology.
He retired from the company in 2022 and now sits on the boards of Rivian and Daimler Trucks.
The famed engineer recently gave an interview to Germany’s Manager Magazine in which he threw some cold water on Tesla’s Cybercab project (via The Autopian):
If a company were serious about building a safe robotaxi business, the robotaxi wouldn’t look anything like this prototype. A serious robotaxi would demonstrate the primacy of safety; the manufacturer would place sensors in optimal positions—on the roof, as well as on the sides and corners of the vehicle. These sensors would also have cleaning and drying functions—windshield wipers, compressed air nozzles, and so on. A serious robotaxi also wouldn’t have a low-slung coupe body design. This design makes it difficult for people to easily get in and out; not everyone will be able to use these robotaxi vehicles comfortably.
We should note here that Krafcik is not necessarily attacking Tesla’s choice of sensors. Tesla only uses cameras – a choice that has been criticized in the self-driving industry, which tends to also use radar and lidar sensors.
He is criticizing the position of the sensors and Tesla’s limited features to keep them clean and working, which is a fact.
Krafcik also explained that why Waymo stayed off highways for so long (it recently started to drive on them), which could be a problem for Tesla as it goes driverless:
Almost all of the challenging circumstances and vulnerable road users found in cities also exist on highways—only less frequently. We’ve seen cyclists, scooter riders, and pedestrians on American highways. The rarity doesn’t make things easier—it makes them more difficult. You can’t ignore these extremely rare events; you have to solve them robustly, even if the speeds are much higher and the stopping distances are much longer. This means that the sensing, perception, behavior prediction, and path planning aspects are much more demanding for autonomous trucks than for slower-moving robotaxis in the city.
When talking about Tesla’s launch of a robotaxi service in Austin in June, Krafcik didn’t mince his words:
“There are many ways to fake a robotaxi service.”
Tesla is expected to launch a ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas, starting this June, using its vehicles without human drivers.
However, while some Tesla fans are hailing this as CEO Elon Musk finally making true on his promise to deliver robotaxi, it is far from its promise of delivering robotaxi-level self-driving in all Tesla vehicles built since 2016.
As we previously reported, Tesla is expected to use an internal fleet backed by teleoperation support in a geo-fenced and mapped area of Austin. It is a service similar to what Waymo has been offering for years, which Musk has often criticized for not being scalable.
Electrek’s Take
Krafcik makes some great points about the Cybercab. Tesla is limiting itself by insisting on making a “dedicated robotaxi vehicle” that it also plans to sell to consumers.
This creates aesthetic limitations, as Tesla doesn’t want big sensors with cleaning devices visible on the vehicle’s roof. The result is a lesser robotaxi.
It’s also true that the Cybercab’s form-factor as a coupe doesn’t make much sense for a taxi, self-driving or not.
Finally, I do share Krafcik’s concerns about Tesla “faking” its robotaxi launch – although “faking” might not be exactly the correct term. It simply nowhere near what Musk has been promising Tesla customers for years, which is that their vehicles bought since 2016 would be self-driving without driver supervision.
It isn’t the case and it doesn’t look like it is anything close to it.
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The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 got a major glow up with extra driving range, a sleek interior and exterior facelift, and even Tesla Supercharger access with an added NACS port. With leases starting at just $179 per month, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 might be your best bet to get into an EV right now.
How much does the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 cost to lease?
Hyundai upgraded its best-selling electric SUV in every way possible for the 2025 model year. The 2025 IONIQ 5 can drive up to 318 miles on a single charge, recharge from 10% to 80% in under 20 minutes, and is available starting at just $42,500.
After cutting lease prices last month, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 was available to lease for as low as $179 per month.
The offer was set to end on July 7, but Hyundai extended it through its new “Hyundai Getaway Sales Event.” The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 SE Standard Range model is still available for lease, starting at just $179 per month.
That’s for the base version, which has a range of up to 245 miles. The offer is for a 24-month lease with $3,999 due at signing.
The long-range SE RWD variant, with a driving range of up to 318 miles, can be leased for as little as $199 per month. Upgrading to the AWD model will cost $249 per month. You can even snag the off-road XRT variant for $299 a month right now.
Hyundai upgraded the IONIQ 5 with a sleek facelift, adding to its already bold design. Inside, the 2025 IONIQ 5 features a redesigned center console, steering wheel, and HVAC control system based on driver feedback.
It also features a more powerful, next-gen infotainment system. The setup includes dual 12.3″ driver display and infotainment screens with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice-recognition, and more.
If you’re looking for something a little bigger, Hyundai’s three-row electric SUV, the IONIQ 9 (Check out our review), is listed for lease starting at just $419 per month.
| 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Trim | EV Powertrain | Driving Range (miles) | Starting Price* | Monthly lease price July 2025 |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD Standard Range | 168-horsepower rear motor | 245 | $42,500 | $179 |
| IONIQ 5 SE RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $46,550 | $199 |
| IONIQ 5 SEL RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $49,500 | $209 |
| IONIQ 5 Limited RWD | 225-horsepower rear motor | 318 | $54,200 | $309 |
| IONIQ 5 SE Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 290 | $50,050 | $249 |
| IONIQ 5 SEL Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 290 | $53,000 | $259 |
| IONIQ 5 XRT Dual Motor AWD | 320 horsepower dual motor | 259 | $55,400 | $359 |
| IONIQ 5 Limited Dual Motor AWD | 320-horsepower dual motor | 269 | $58,100 | $299 |
To sweeten the deal, Hyundai is throwing in a free ChargePoint Level 2 home charger with the purchase or lease of a new 2025 IONIQ 5 or 2026 IONIQ 9.
Both the 2025 IONIQ 5 and 2026 IONIQ 9 are built at Hyundai’s new EV plant in Georgia. The current lease offers include the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which is set to expire at the end of September. Hyundai’s new deals are available through September 2, 2025.
Ready to test one out for yourself? We can help you get started. You can use our links below to find deals on the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 9 near you.
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Environment
Tesla Semi efficiency improves in real-world trucking test covering 4,494 miles over 3 weeks
The Tesla Semi, Tesla’s electric Class 8 semi-truck, saw its efficiency improve in a new real-world trucking test covering 4,494 miles over three weeks.
The Tesla Semi underwent significant changes over the years of delays.
Tesla officially unveiled the “production version” in 2022, but the vehicle never entered volume production. It is expected to finally happen at the end of the year at a new factory in Nevada.
When unveiling the “production version”, which turned out not to be the final production version, Elon Musk said that the Tesla Semi has an efficiency of 1.7 kWh per mile.
In September 2024, Tesla reported improvements in its own fleet after covering 250,000 miles. It claimed to be achieving 1.6 kWh per mile.
Last year, two Tesla Semi customers got closer to what Musk claimed in 2022. DHL got 1.72 kWh per mile in their own test, and Saia got 1.73 kWh per mile.
Now, Tesla Semi appears to have improved quite a bit in a new real-world test by logistics company ArcBest.
The company claims to have put Tesla Semi through regular operations, varying from lane dispatch to regional runs over three weeks:
Over a three-week period, ABF operated a Tesla Semi across typical dispatch lanes, including over-the-road routes between service centers in Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California. The pilot also included regional runs in the Bay Area and rail shuttle operations.
ArcBest claims that Tesla Semi averaged 1.55 kWh per mile during the three weeks:
The electric Semi logged 4,494 miles, averaging 321 miles per day with an overall energy efficiency of 1.55 kWh per mile.
Efficiency in the trucking business varies considerably based on several factors, including the load, but it is nonetheless an impressive performance.
Dennis Anderson, ArcBest chief innovation officer, commented on the test program:
“Freight transportation is a vital part of the global economy, and we know it also plays a significant role in overall greenhouse gas emissions. While the path to decarbonization presents complex challenges — such as infrastructure needs and alternative fuel development — it also opens the door to innovation. Vehicles like the Tesla Semi highlight the progress being made and expand the boundaries of what’s possible as we work toward a more sustainable future for freight.”
Tesla says that the truck should enter volume production toward the end of the year and customer deliveries are expected to start next year.
While the efficiency of the electric truck has improved, we previously reported that its price has increased significantly.
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Range Rover now has its own logo for the first time. The luxury automaker is unveiling a sleek new look as it gears up to launch its first electric SUV later this year.
Range Rover introduces its first logo
Since it launched its first vehicle in 1970, the Range Rover badge has become an iconic status symbol. You can’t miss the classic Range Rover look.
With its first EV due out later this year, the luxury automaker is preparing for a new era. JLR revealed the new Range Rover logo, a first for the luxury automaker, during an investor presentation.
The new logo is a stark contrast to the “Range Rover” badge we are accustomed to seeing, featuring a minimalist design similar to the Rolls-Royce emblem.
JLR told Autocar that the new logo won’t replace the signature Range Rover badge at the front or rear. Instead, it will be used to complement it.
“The Range Rover Motif has been developed as a smaller symbol for where our familiar Range Rover device mark does not fit, such as on a label or as part of a repeating pattern, and within event spaces where an emblem is more appropriate,” the company said.
With Range Rover’s first electric SUV set to hit showrooms later this year, will we see it featured on the new EV? JLR confirmed in May that the Range Rover Electric now has over 61,000 clients on the waitlist.
The company claims the new EV is undergoing “the most intensive testing any Range Rover vehicle has ever endured” ahead of its big debut later this year.
According to Thomas Müller, Range Rover’s executive director of product engineering, the electric SUV is already outperforming some of its top gas-powered models.
JLR has already begun testing new EV production lines at its Solihull, UK, plant in preparation for the new Range Rover model. Next year, the luxury brand is expected to introduce the smaller Sport and Velar EV models.
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