Tesla issues timeline on when Robotaxis will compete with Waymo's as San Francisco plan revealed
Published on Jul 11, 2025 at 1:20 PM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jul 11, 2025 at 6:06 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Tesla is finally going toe-to-toe with the best of the best, as its Robotaxis will compete on rival turf, in a highly anticipated showdown with Waymo.
Why San Francisco? Because it’s already home to the most advanced, fully driverless taxi fleet in the US – run by Tesla’s strongest adversary.
This isn’t just another expansion. It’s Tesla stepping directly onto the competition’s home track.
Two giants. One city. The Robotaxi wars are about to get real.
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Tesla’s jumping into Waymo territory, but it’s not fully driverless yet
Tesla’s Robotaxi rollout is expanding – but not without training wheels.
Right now, its driverless Model Ys are only operating in a small part of Austin, and every ride still has a safety driver.
Musk says San Francisco is next, and it’s coming ‘in a month or two,’ assuming regulators give the green light.
But they’ll be entering a city Waymo already calls home, meaning the Robotaxis will compete for fares.
The Alphabet-owned brand has been running fully driverless taxis in San Francisco since 2022. No safety drivers in sight.
Waymo also operates in LA, Phoenix, Atlanta, and even Austin. And their tech isn’t shy – it’s packed with cameras, radar, lidar, and backup systems for steering, brakes, and power.
Tesla’s system? Just cameras. It’s a vision-only approach that skips all the extra sensors – cheaper and cleaner, but also riskier, according to experts.
And both have had issues.
Waymo cars have frozen in fog or hit gates. Tesla’s early runs in Austin have been caught swerving over lane lines and bumping parked cars.
The Robotaxi race is on – and San Francisco’s about to become the battlefield.
The Robotaxis will compete: same goal, different roadmaps
Tesla and Waymo are both chasing full autonomy, but they couldn’t be more different in how they’re doing it.
Tesla believes vision and AI are enough. Musk calls lidar a ‘crutch’ and says the simpler setup will win.
It’s all about scale, speed, and software.
Waymo’s slower but safer. More sensors, more backups – and it’s already running fully driverless rides across the US.
Tesla isn’t there yet. Its Robotaxi program is still invite-only and human-monitored. But the San Francisco launch could be a turning point.
If the tech giant can pull it off – and ditch the safety drivers – it’ll mark a huge step forward for its all-in vision strategy.
Until then, it’s a waiting game.
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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.
