Waymo has criticised the camera-only approach to autonomous driving associated with Tesla, arguing that cameras alone cannot safely support fully driverless vehicles at scale. The intervention comes as Tesla prepares to launch its steering wheel- and pedal-free Cybercab, sharpening a long-running disagreement over the sensors and maps robotaxis should use.

Waymo says its more than 200 million fully autonomous miles show the value of combining cameras with lidar and radar, providing redundancy if one system fails. Tesla maintains that cameras can deliver safe, affordable autonomy and has dismissed lidar as unnecessary, while most other autonomous-vehicle firms use multiple sensor types; proposed New Jersey rules requiring several sensors could therefore exclude Tesla. Waymo also favours high-definition maps, updated with AI, whereas Elon Musk argues vehicles should operate effectively without them because roads constantly change.