I spent mid-July in Austin to compare Tesla’s newly launched Robotaxi with Waymo’s established autonomous service. I took eight rides in Waymo’s Jaguar I-PACES and five Tesla rides in Model Ys fitted with Tesla’s Full-Self Driving system. I looked at pick-up accuracy, ride smoothness, and overall reliability.
Waymo: Confident, Precise, Fully Driverless
Waymo, operating through Uber, delivered consistently on its promises. Its robotaxis navigated confidently, dropped me exactly where expected, and averaged seven minutes for pick-ups, all at a fare of about $10.69. No issues across eight rides.
This comes after Waymo has driven over 100 million miles autonomously, reinforcing its leadership in performance and safety.
Tesla: Smooth Rides, But Still Under Human Supervision
Tesla’s Robotaxi rides were physically smooth, no motion-sickness. But the tech still felt unpolished. Several times the car needed help. Once it drifted toward a one-way street the wrong way. Other times it struggled in parking lots or near geofence boundaries. Each time, a human monitor or a remote agent stepped in.
Tesla’s robotaxi service remains invite-only, with a safety monitor always in the car. In contrast, Waymo’s rides are fully autonomous.
One Clear Winner for Now
At the end of the day, Waymo was the obvious winner in this head-to-head test. Tesla’s Robotaxi shows progress and a smoother ride than its past Full-Self Driving, but it is not ready for wide rollout yet.
A Broader Look: Where Both Companies Stand
Waymo’s Edge
Waymo already runs its robotaxi fleet in multiple cities like Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. It hovers over 10 million paid rides, and safety data shows 93% fewer pedestrian-injury crashes compared to human drivers.
Further, in safety-specific studies, Waymo’s rider-only service recorded significantly fewer injury-related crashes, even across over 56 million miles driven.
Tesla’s Ambition and Challenges
Tesla is betting on a camera-only system and its massive fleet of data-collecting vehicles to drive robotaxi growth. CEO Elon Musk envisions millions of autonomous rides and owner-operated vehicles joining a robotaxi network.
The initial roll-out began June 22, 2025, in Austin, with a geofenced fleet of 10–20 Model Ys, flat-fare rides around $4.20, and a front-seat safety monitor.
However, experts remain cautious. Videos have surfaced showing glitches such as wrong-way lane attempts, phantom braking, and technical hiccups that required intervention. Critics highlight concerns with Tesla’s vision-only reliance and the absence of redundancy like lidar or radar.
The Profitability Question
HSBC analysts warn the hype around robotaxis may be overblown. High costs for parking, cleaning, charging, and remote monitoring could delay profit by seven to eight years. They estimate Tesla’s fleet might reach 75,000 vehicles by 2035, but profitability may not come until 2033.
What This Means
Here’s the thing: Waymo has built a proven, reliable service. Tesla is pushing forward aggressively, but rough edges remain. The competition is on, but execution matters more than ambition.
