Former CEO of Google-owned Waymo says Elon Musk’s Tesla Robotaxi is ‘not a robotaxi if…’

John Krafcik, the former CEO of Waymo who turned Google’s self-driving car project into a commercial ride-hailing business, has raised doubts about Tesla’s Robotaxi. Speaking to Business Insider, Krafcik questioned whether Tesla’s service qualifies as a true robotaxi. "If they were striving to re-create today's Bay Area Uber experience," he told the publication over email, adding "looks like they've absolutely nailed it."For those unaware, Tesla launched its Robotaxi service in Austin in June this year, followed by San Francisco in July. In Austin, where rules are looser, Tesla places a safety monitor in the passenger seat instead of the driver’s seat. Also, a human safety driver sits behind the wheel because Tesla has not yet applied for California permits to test or deploy fully driverless vehicles. The service is currently invite-only, though CEO Elon Musk said on August 10 that it will be “open access” next month.Krafcik said Tesla’s reliance on in-car employees shows that the service is not truly autonomous. “Please let me know when Tesla launches a robotaxi — I'm still waiting,” he said. “It's (rather obviously) not a robotaxi if there's an employee inside the car.” He further stated that he has no interest in trying Tesla’s robotaxi services.Krafcik added that he has no interest in trying the service himself.According to the Business Insider report, Tesla’s rollout has similarities to Waymo’s early days. In 2017, Waymo launched an “early rider program” in Arizona, where safety drivers were present and participants signed nondisclosure agreements. By late 2020, Waymo began offering fully driverless paid rides in Phoenix and has since expanded to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, with more than 1,500 robotaxis operatin