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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The Dodge Charger Daytona EV made headlines when it rolled out fake engine noises as a way to make the EV appeal to muscle car drivers. As it turns out, they weren’t the right sort of fake engine noises – and now Stellantis has to recall 8,000 of them for a fix.
According to the ChryCo fans at Mopar Insider, Stellantis is recalling ~8,390 examples of its 2024 to 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EVs because of an exterior amplifier that may be missing critical enabling the amp to emit exterior sounds – including the Federally mandated pedestrian warning sounds designed to keep pedestrians safe.
What’s more, the recall’s “suspect period” reportedly begins on 30APR2024, when the first 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona was produced, and ends 18MAR2025 … when the last Charger EV was produced.
RECALL CHRONOLOGY
- On April 17, 2025, the FCA US LLC (“FCA US”) Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (“TSRC”) organization opened an investigation into certain 2024–2025 model year Dodge Charger vehicles that may not emit exterior sound.
- From April 17, 2025, through May 13, 2025, FCA US TSRC met with FCA US Engineering and the supplier to understand all potential failure modes associated with the issue. They also reviewed warranty data, field records, and customer assistance records to determine field occurrences.
- On May 14, 2025, the FCA US TSRC organization determined that a vehicle build issue existed on certain vehicles related to a lack of EV exterior sound, potentially resulting in noncompliance with FMVSS No. 141.
Without the software patch, the vehicles don’t comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 141, “Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.” The rule requires noisemakers for EVs and hybrids when operating under 19 mph, the safest speeds for pedestrians.
Basically, if you have a Dodge Charger EV, expect to get a recall notice.
It just keeps getting funnier
If you’re not familiar with the Charger Daytona EV’s “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,” it’s a system that employs a combination of digital sound synthesis and a physical tuning chamber (translation: a speaker) to produce a 126 decibel sound that approximately imitates a Hellcat Hemi V8 ICE. That’s loud enough to cause most people physical pain, according to Yale University – putting it somewhere between a loud rock concert and a passenger jet at takeoff.
While you could argue that such noises are part and parcel with powerful combustion, they’re completely irrelevant to an EV, and speak to a particular sort of infantile delusion of masculinity that I, frankly, have never been able to wrap my head around. Something akin to the, “Hey, look at me! I’m a big tough guy!” attention-whoring of a suburban Harley rider in a “Sons of Anarchy” novelty cut, without even enough courage to ride a motorcycle, you know?
You know – and I bet you can help me dial in the the comparison to perfection (and help me explain why the car just isn’t selling) in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
SOURCE: Mopar Insiders; featured image by Stellantis.
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Is it an electric van or a truck? The Kia PV5 might be in a class of its own. Kia’s electric van was recently spotted charging in public with an open bed, and it looks like a real truck.
Kia’s electric van morphs into a truck with an open bed
The PV5 is the first of a series of electric vans as part of Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle business (PBV). Kia claims the PBVs are more than vans, they are “total mobility solutions,” equipped with Hyundai’s advanced software.
Based on the flexible new EV platform, E-GMP.S, Kia has several new variants in the pipeline, including camper vans, refrigerated trucks, luxury “Prime” models for passenger use, and an open bed model.
Kia launched the PV5 Passenger and Cargo in the UK earlier this year for business and personal use. We knew more were coming, but now we are getting a look at a new variant in public.
Although we got a brief glimpse of it earlier this month driving by in Korea, Kia’s electric van was spotted charging in public with an open bed.
The folks at HealerTV found the PV5 variant with an open bed parked in Korea, offering us a good look from all angles.
From the front, it resembles the Passenger and Cargo variants, featuring slim vertical LED headlights. However, from the side, it’s an entirely different vehicle. The truck sits low to the ground, similar to the one captured driving earlier this month.
When you look at it from the back, you can’t even tell it’s the PV5. It looks like any other cargo truck with an open bed.
The PV5 open bed measures 5,000 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width, and 2,000 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Although Kia has yet to say how big the bed will be, the reporter mentions it doesn’t look that deep, but it’s wide enough to carry a good load.
The open bed will be one of several PV5 variants that Kia plans to launch in Europe and Korea later this year, alongside the Passenger, Cargo, and Chassis Cab configurations.
In Europe, the PV5 Passenger is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo variant is rated with a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.
Kia will reveal battery specs closer to launch for the open bed variant, but claims it “has the longest driving range among compact commercial EVs in its class.”
In 2027, Kia will launch the larger PV7, followed by an even bigger PV9 in 2029. There’s also a smaller PV1 in the works, which is expected to arrive sometime next year or in 2027.
What do you think of Kia’s electric van? Will it be a game changer? With plenty of variants on the way, it has a good chance. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: HealerTV
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