Tesla’s head of self-driving admits ‘lagging a couple years’ behind Waymo
Tesla’s head of self-driving has admitted that the automaker’s autonomous program is lagging “a couple years” behind Waymo, but he believes the cost advantage will enable it to scale faster.
In a rare candid interview, Tesla’s head of AI and self-driving, Ashok Elluswamy, has admitted that Tesla is a couple of years behind Waymo on the autonomous driving front.
The interview can be hard to follow for English speakers as both Elluswamy and the host switch from English to Tamil frequently, but you can clearly hear the Tesla VP says that Tesla is lagging behind Waymo when talking about Waymo’s different approach:
When asked about the difference between Tesla and Waymo on self-driving, Elluswamy says that Tesla’s approach is much cheaper. The host asked if he means it is less expensive but “equal quality” and the Tesla VP answers:
Equal quality. Technically, Waymo is already performing. We are maybe lagging by a couple years.
This should be obvious to anyone following closely since Tesla has yet to be able to do what Waymo has been doing for years: provide customers with level 4 autonomous driving rides.
Tesla has been limited to a level 2 advanced driver assist system (ADAS), which requires constant supervision from the driver.
Nonetheless, it is a rare admission from Tesla as its CEO, Elon Musk, has been minimizing Waymo’s achievements for years and claimed that he doesn’t see anyone close to Tesla on autonomy.
That’s even though Tesla only plans to finally start offering level 4 autonomous rides to customers next month in Austin, while Waymo has been doing that for years, including in Austin specifically, since earlier this year.
It’s true that Tesla’s vehicles are much cheaper than Waymo’s, but there are many reasons for that.
The cost of lidar sensors has been one of the top suspects. Costs have come down quite a bit, and it is not really a problem anymore, but they are more power hungry than Tesla’s sensors, which are just cameras.
The real difference in the cost of the vehicles is the fact that Tesla produces over a million cars a year, versus Waymo producing a few hundred units now and a few thousand units soon. Waymo also buys the vehicles from other manufacturers and simply integrates its sensor suite and hardware.
Tesla benefits from economies of scale, but that’s because it sells those vehicles to customers who, in the vast majority, do not buy Tesla’s Full Self-Driving package since it doesn’t do what the name implies.
In the upcoming pilot program in Austin, Tesla plans to use the same vehicles it delivers to customers. It will use different software that has been optimized to work in a geo-fenced area of Austin and it will also be supported by teleoperation, but the hardware is going to be the same, which does reduce costs.
Electrek’s Take
Right now, I think the cost of operating limited autonomous ride-hailing fleets like Waymo’s has little to do with the vehicles’ cost.
I think it is more related to the training and the support, specifically the level of teleoperation. If you have a 1:10 ratio of one teleoperator to 10 cars, it is going to be much cheaper than a 1:1 ratio of teleoperator to car.
We know that Waymo uses some levels of teleoperation and that Tesla plans to use a “high level” of teleoperation, but we don’t know the specifics of each program.
These, along with the training of specific regions and regulatory approvals in some jurisdictions, will be the main limiting factors.
Considering Waymo has a system that already works, it is currently completing over 250,000 paid rides per week, it already is operating in 5 markets, and it is both expanding the geo-fencing areas of those markets and expanding into other markets with more vehicles, I think it’s clear that it is ahead of Tesla in autonomous driving.
Tesla is now going to start catching up to Waymo next month with its first market and its first 10-12 vehicles.
For now, I haven’t seen serious evidence that Tesla can scale faster than Waymo. The only real advantage is the availability of the vehicles to deploy in the fleet. Tesla has plenty of those lying around, but that’s hardly a major bottleneck for Waymo.
The only way Tesla could leapfrog Waymo is by deploying level 4 autonomy in its customer fleet as promised for years, but I don’ see that happening anytime soon.
I think that the only way Tesla can safely deploy level 4 in an internal fleet in Austin next month is through mapping, geofencing, and high level of teleoperations, maybe even 1:1 teleoperation. I’d be happy to be proven wrong though.
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Environment
Volvo Penta teams up with e-power to equip Boels with next-gen Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS)
Veteran marine and industrial power solutions company Volvo Penta has joined forces with energy solutions provider e-power to build battery energy storage systems (BESS). Volvo Penta’s battery systems for energy storage will power BESS units built by e-power that can be catered to a range of applications, most notably construction rental clients like Boels Rentals in Europe.
Volvo Penta is a provider of sustainable power solutions that currently serves land and sea applications under the Volvo Group umbrella. As more and more of the world goes all-electric, the global manufacturer has also adapted, sharing cultural values with Volvo Group to engineer new and innovative sustainable power solutions.
Nearly 100 years later, Volvo Penta remains an industry leader in marine propulsion systems and industrial engines. As more and more of the world goes all-electric, the Swedish manufacturer has also adapted, sharing cultural values with Volvo Group to engineer new and innovative sustainable power solutions.
For example, all Volvo Penta diesel engines now run on hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO), reducing well-to-wheel emissions by up to 90% across the marine and industrial power industries. On the zero-emissions side, Volvo Penta has expressed its dedication to fossil-free power solutions, including battery electric components to serve heavy-duty applications such as terminal tractors, forklifts, drill rigs, and feed mixers, to name a few.
To leverage its battery electric value chain, Volvo Penta has also ventured into battery systems for energy storage (or BESS subsystems). These energy-dense, purpose-built BESS subsystems can provide portable, sustainable energy for all-electric charging and reduce grid dependency.
Volvo Penta to deploy battery systems for energy storage
Volvo Penta recently announced a strategic partnership with e-power, a Belgian power solutions provider. Together, Volvo Penta and e-power will develop a scalable Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for Boels Rental.
The collaboration continues a long-standing partnership between all three companies. Boels – one of the largest construction rental companies is a long-time customer of e-power generators that utilize Volvo Penta engines. As the company shifts toward electrification and sustainability, it will again turn to those companies to deliver reliable performance.
Volvo Penta’s BESS subsystem comprises battery packs, a Battery Management System (BMS), DC/DC converters, and thermal management, combining to offer a compact, high-density, and transport-friendly solution optimized for rental operations. The company shared that this BESS design is integration-ready, enabling other OEMs like e-power to adapt and scale systems to customer-specific needs. Per e-power business support director, Jens Fets:
We’ve built our reputation on reliability and efficient power systems. Working again with Volvo Penta, this time on battery energy storage, allows us to meet the growing demand for energy in a silent, low-emissions, compact and mobile design—especially in rental applications.
The deployment of these new battery energy storage systems will help Boels cater to its customers’ growing demand for clean, silent, and mobile energy solutions in construction and other industrial applications.
Aside from being more quickly adaptable to customer needs, Volvo Penta says its BESS architecture marks an overall shift in rental power systems. This is welcome news for all who support a cleaner, more sustainable future across all industries.
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That didn’t take long! Just a few hours after Mercedes revealed the screen-heavy interior of its upcoming 2026 GLC EV, photos of the new crossover’s exterior – and that controversial grille! – leaked on Instagram and Reddit. We’ve got them here.
Two days ahead of the GLC EV’s officially schedule global debut, images that reportedly show the new 2026 Mercedes undisguised have leaked on Instagram and Reddit. They show the blocky new light-up grille on the nose of a very smooth, jellybean-like crossover shape that, despite Mercedes’ insistence that it’s moving away from the EQ series’ design language, looks an awful lot like an EQ Mercedes.
Check out the leaked images from kindleauto’s Instagram account, below, and see if you agree with that assessment.
If you need to see more before you feel comfortable commenting on the new SUV’s looks, there’s a few more angles over on the r/mercedes_benz subreddit.
Leaked exterior pictures of the upcoming GLC EV
byu/Quick_Coyote_7649 inmercedes_benz
As with everything else on the internet, take those unofficial images with a grain of salt and maybe wait until the GLC EV’s official reveal in a few days’ time before casting your final vote on the new look – but there’s very little reason to believe the new Mercedes will look terribly different from what you see here.
Will the new grille and tech-forward interior with its massive, 39″ screen and MB.OS software be enough to turn the tide for Mercedes-Benz, enabling it to finally gain some traction in the electric crossover market? That remains to be seen, but the recently updated Tesla Model Y and crisply-styled new BMW iX3 with its 500 miles of range will make it an uphill battle, for sure.
We got a sneak peek at the new GLC back in July, when Mercedes-Benz Group CEO, Ola Källenius said that, “We’re not just introducing a new model – we’re electrifying our top seller.” Back then, we learned that the new GLC EV would have a wheelbase 3.1″ longer than the current ICE-powered model, as well as more head- and leg-room for its occupants and an extra 4.5 cubic feet (for 61.4 total) of cargo space.
Källenius also promised an innovative new 800V electric architecture and the latest battery tech, which will enable the electric GLC to add around 260 km (~160 miles) of WLTP range in just ten minutes thanks to more than 300 kW of charging capability.
SOURCES | IMAGES: kindleauto; Quick_Coyote_7649.
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For more than 30 years, John Deere’s go-anywhere Gator has been a trusted tool for ranchers, landscapers, and hobby farmers. But the all-electric TE 4×2 version of Big Green’s little truckster rarely gets to steal the spotlight from its ICE-powered 6×4 cousins.
We’re going to change that.
Unlike some of those other UTV brands that just recently entered the electric vehicle game, John Deere introduced its first all-electric Gator way back in 1998.
That OG E-Gator was designed from the ground up for quiet work in places like golf courses, university and hospital campuses, luxury resorts, and corporate grounds – but its go-anywhere design and quiet running made it a favorite of hunters and ranchers, too. Fitted with eight heavy, 12V lead-acid batteries, the ’98 Gator could deliver 6 hours of runtime between overnight charges.
We haven’t come a long way, baby
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That seems to be the mentality at Deere when it comes to the all-electric Gator. The TE 4×2 hasn’t chased trends or tried to reinvent itself with flashy autonomous tech. Instead, it’s relied solid, work-horsey reasons. Instead, the UTV has leaned on the formula that’s made it a winner for more than 25 years: bulletproof reliability, low maintenance, and a design that just works. Even the added weight of the low-tech batteries compared to more energy-dense li-ion deals makes sense in this application, providing weight over the drive wheels that delivers sure-footed traction on slippery grass or muddy trails.
That’s not to say the Gator hasn’t changed at all over the last few decades. The electrical system has been upgraded to 48V, and its high-capacity, deep-cycle batteries (12 kWh total capacity) give the TE 4×2 dependable, all-day runtime (up to 8 continuous hours) with the benefit of modern chargers, regenerative braking (!), and updated safety features.
The TE 4×2 electric Gator is available from your local Deere dealer with prices starting at $15,699. And, if you’re looking for an endorsement: my personal Gator is easily my favorite thing … maybe I should try to change my Twitter X handle to “GatorJo”?
Let me know what you think of that idea in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: John Deere.
If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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