Ford CEO shares why he's sceptical about Tesla's approach to self-driving
Published on Jul 02, 2025 at 3:16 AM (UTC+4)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Jul 01, 2025 at 7:29 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
It appears that the new Ford CEO is sceptical about Tesla’s approach to self-driving.
Jim Farley is the latest man to serve as CEO of the Blue Oval brand.
He recently made an appearance at the Aspen Ideas festival in Colorado.
The Ford CEO was more than unsure about Tesla and its self-driving philosophy.
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Ford CEO offers views on self-driving
Since becoming the new Ford CEO, Jim Farley has made quite an impact.
The Argentina-born businessman became CEO of Ford in August 2020.
Farley has focused on efforts to revitalise and modernise the brand.
Part of those efforts to modernize involve – of course – looking to the future.
And a big part of the future of the car industry appears to involve self-driving.
Whilst not currently pursuing its own autonomous vehicles, Farley was asked about the technology.
Farley was speaking with author Walter Isaacson when he made his views clear.
Isaacson and the Ford CEO were in discussion about the current state of self-driving.
The author asked Farley which system of self-driving he personally preferred.
Farley responded by stating: “To us, Waymo.”
Ford’s CEO did highlight that both Waymo’s LiDAR and Tesla’s technology have made ‘a lot of progress.’
LiDAR vs Vision-Only – same goal, different method
Farley made a point of noting that: “When you have a brand like Ford, when there’s a new technology, you have to be really careful.
“We really believe that LiDAR is mission critical…
“Where the camera will be completely blinded, the LiDAR system will see exactly what’s in front of you.”
To put it simply, the Waymo LiDAR and Tesla Vison systems achieve the same goal in different ways.
The Tesla Vision-Only system relies solely on cameras and neural networks to navigate its environment.
On the other hand, the Waymo LiDAR system uses lasers and sensors to create a 3D view of the vehicle’s surroundings.
This system helps vehicles using the Waymo software to ‘see’ and understand the environment around them.
Keelin McNamara is a content writer at Supercar Blondie from Ireland, covering cars, technology, and lifestyle. Despite being a Law graduate, he discovered his passion for journalism during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has worked in the industry ever since. Outside of work, he is an avid MotoGP fan, and is a self-confessed addict of the sport.
