Brad Templeton’s recent story in Forbes caught our attention, and if you care about the future of EVs, autonomy, or how cities might run in 10 years, it’s a story worth your attention too.
Brad isn’t just another tech journalist. He’s been deep in the robotaxi world for nearly two decades. He worked on Waymo’s early team and helped shape its strategy. His ideas have influenced leaders across the autonomous vehicle space. He owns a Tesla with Full Self-Driving (FSD) Version 12 and once spent an hour in conversation with Musk himself, trying to convince him to pursue robotaxis. In his words:
“Not saying at all I’m the reason Tesla is doing what it’s doing, but I do know all sides fairly well.”
That mix of personal experience and industry insight makes his comparison of Waymo vs. Tesla one of the most honest, thoughtful reads out there.
Here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways from Brad’s story, re-told for our EV community,
Two Visions, Two Very Different Vehicles
Brad sets the scene with a clear contrast:
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Waymo has been building a self-driving service rooted in redundancy and caution. Its vehicles rely on a blend of lidar, radar, and cameras, creating a detailed, 360º picture of the world. It’s also operating at Level 4 autonomy, meaning no driver is needed in supported areas.
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Tesla, meanwhile, is testing a very different theory. Its new robotaxi service, launched this summer in Austin, uses just cameras and neural nets – no lidar, no radar. A human “safety operator” sits behind the wheel, but doesn’t drive. Tesla is calling this a step toward “Supervised FSD.”
Both are aiming for the same future, but they’re driving on very different roads to get there.
Where They’re Operating (And How Much It Matters)
Waymo is already running driverless services in:
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Phoenix
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San Francisco
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Los Angeles
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Atlanta
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And just expanded in Austin this July
It has done over 10 million rides and logged 100+ million fully driverless miles. That’s a serious milestone.
Tesla just entered the game in Austin. It’s starting small, about a dozen Model Ys operating in a limited area, with rides costing $4.20. It’s early, and the cars still need someone behind the wheel for now. But the goal is fully driverless, soon.
Brad’s take? Tesla is bold and fast-moving, but unproven. Waymo is methodical, but clearly leading in miles, cities, and experience.
Real-World Performance: What the Cameras Can’t Catch
Since Tesla’s launch, videos have surfaced of some serious issues:
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Wrong-way turns
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Sudden stops in traffic
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Rule-breaking maneuvers
It’s still early days, but these clips have drawn attention from the public and regulators, including the NHTSA. Brad points out that these mistakes show why vision-only systems might struggle in complex urban environments, at least for now.
Waymo’s cars? They’ve had fender benders, sure. But nothing on the scale of Tesla’s early hiccups. The difference in maturity is noticeable.
Brad’s Bottom Line
Brad doesn’t crown a winner. Instead, he lays out the philosophies:
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Waymo is all about layered sensing, long-term learning, and safety validation before scale.
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Tesla is chasing a vision-first future powered by AI, fast iteration, and scale through its existing fleet.
One is cautious. One is daring. Both are chasing a driverless future, and we’re watching that race unfold in real time.
Why This Matters for EV Drivers & Watchers
Autonomy and electrification are colliding. These robotaxis aren’t just electric; they’re rewriting how we think about transportation.
Cities like Austin are testbeds for what could scale worldwide. Whether you drive a Tesla or take a Waymo, the infrastructure is shifting.
Trust will be the biggest hurdle. No matter how advanced the AI, people need to feel safe stepping into a car with no driver.
One Final Thought
For EV fans and industry watchers aged 30–45, this story highlights that the robotaxi revolution depends not just on electric motors, but on autonomous systems that drive confidently without humans. Waymo and Tesla represent two vivid models of how autonomy might unfold and ultimately, how trust, validation, and scale will define city‑wide adoption.