Waymo Ex-CEO Slams Tesla's Robotaxi Claim: 'Not a Robotaxi'
In a direct challenge to Tesla’s ambitious autonomous vehicle claims, John Krafcik, the former CEO of Waymo and current board member at Rivian, recently asserted that Tesla’s “robotaxi” efforts fall short of true autonomy. “It’s (rather obviously) not a robotaxi if there’s an employee inside the car,” Krafcik told Business Insider, a statement that cuts to the core of the ongoing debate within the self-driving industry. [Feeds.Businessinsider, 8]
Krafcik’s pointed remarks highlight the significant divide between advanced driver-assistance systems and fully autonomous vehicles. While Tesla has heavily promoted its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, currently classified as Level 2 autonomous—or “edging toward Level 3” for its “Supervised” version—it still mandates human supervision. This classification, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), means the human driver remains responsible for the vehicle’s operation and must be ready to intervene at all times. In contrast, a true robotaxi, operating at Level 4 autonomy, can perform all driving functions within specific geofenced areas without any human intervention.
Indeed, recent developments from Tesla underscore Krafcik’s critique. The company has launched an “FSD Supervised ride-hailing service” for its employees in the San Francisco Bay Area and Austin. However, this service, despite its “robotaxi” moniker, requires a human safety driver to be present and ready to take over as needed. State regulators in California, including the Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), have confirmed that Tesla currently lacks the necessary permits to offer commercial autonomous passenger services, paid or unpaid, with or without a driver. The DMV is even embroiled in an administrative court dispute with Tesla, alleging the company misled consumers about its Autopilot and FSD capabilities. Despite CEO Elon Musk’s long-standing promises of an unsupervised robotaxi service by mid-2025, the reality remains a system that, for now, still relies on human oversight.
This stands in stark contrast to Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous driving subsidiary, which has been operating fully driverless commercial robotaxi services in multiple cities, including Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Miami, and Austin, without a human safety driver behind the wheel. As of April 2025, Waymo boasts over 250,000 paid rides per week, accumulating more than a million autonomous miles monthly. The company has reported significantly fewer crashes leading to serious injuries compared to human drivers, citing 88% fewer such incidents over 71 million autonomous miles. Waymo’s approach relies on a robust sensor suite that includes lidar, a technology Krafcik champions as crucial for safety and reliability, a direct jab at Tesla’s camera-only strategy. Waymo continues to expand its testing, with safety drivers, into new and more challenging urban environments like Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, aiming to adapt its technology to diverse conditions.
The ongoing debate between these two industry giants highlights the fundamental differences in their paths to autonomy. While Tesla pushes software-driven solutions with a focus on a vast, potentially unsupervised, consumer fleet, Waymo prioritizes fully driverless operations within carefully mapped and managed urban environments. Krafcik’s assertion underscores that until a vehicle can operate truly independently, without the need for a human employee to “supervise,” the term “robotaxi” remains, for some, a misnomer.