The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Tesla spurs Waymo to dump ‘self-driving’ term

By Steve Crowe | January 6, 2021

Waymo May 2020

Waymo’s lineup of autonomous vehicles. | Credit: Waymo

In what appears to be yet another dig at Tesla, Waymo today said it will no longer use the term “self-driving” to describe its vehicles. The Alphabet subsidiary will instead refer to its work as “fully autonomous driving technology.”

According to Waymo, this isn’t just a matter of terminology. It said it will use more “deliberate language” because it “could save lives.”

“It may seem like a small change, but it’s an important one, because precision in language matters and could save lives,” Waymo wrote on its blog. “We’re hopeful that consistency will help differentiate the fully autonomous technology Waymo is developing from driver-assist technologies (sometimes erroneously referred to as “self-driving” technologies) that require oversight from licensed human drivers for safe operation. Regardless of who or what is at the helm, safely operating a vehicle on public roads requires careful execution of all the elements of the driving task.”

Waymo doesn’t mention a specific company in that statement, but it is clearly referring to Tesla and its Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta software. Not only is the name of the system very misleading, Tesla has a disclaimer on its website that says the $10,000 system doesn’t make the vehicles autonomous and human drivers still have to supervise it.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said FSD is capable of “zero intervention drives.” While that has proved to be true in certain scenarios, it’s not the case 100% of the time or merely most of the time. Within hours of the software being released in October, videos surfaced of FSD-equipped Teslas swerving around parked cars and turning into on-coming traffic, for example. Tesla’s FSD will improve with time, but at the moment its capabilities are nowhere near full self driving.

Misusing terminology is nothing new for Tesla. When its Autopilot feature first came out, industry experts complained about the same deceptive, misleading marketing tactics. There have been several high-profile incidents of crashes caused by Autopilot, a couple of people have even died.

Waymo is part of an industry coalition that criticized Tesla when it released FSD. The coalition, which also includes Cruise, Ford, Uber and others, said FSD-equipped Teslas are not truly autonomous because they still require active drivers.

Waymo also recently said it doesn’t view Tesla as a competitor. “Our key technology is the driver, that’s the most important point, that’s what we’re here for,” Waymo CEO John Krafick in the video above. “We’re not a car company, so we really don’t see Tesla as a competitor, rather we see Tesla and other car companies working primarily in this driver assist area.”

Waymo and Tesla are absolutely competitors when its comes to self-driving, err, fully autonomous driving technology. They take very different approaches – LiDAR vs. cameras, for example – but the end goal is the same. Pretend we’re 10-20 years into the future, or however long its takes fully autonomous vehicles to be available at scale worldwide. Pretend you’re a fleet operator looking to purchase your next vehicle. You could buy vehicles powered by Waymo’s technology or Teslas using Tesla’s technology. You could take a ride in a Waymo robotaxi or a Tesla robotaxi. You could have goods delivered via a Waymo autonomous truck or a Tesla autonomous truck.

Waymo knows Tesla is a competitor. Waymo is ahead at the moment, as it recently expanded its fully driverless robotaxi service in the Phoenix area. Perhaps taking digs, of the subtle and not-so-subtle variety, at a “non-competitor” shows what company Waymo is worried about most.

About The Author

Steve Crowe

Steve Crowe is Executive Editor, Robotics, WTWH Media, and chair of the Robotics Summit & Expo and RoboBusiness. He is also co-host of The Robot Report Podcast, the top-rated podcast for the robotics industry. He joined WTWH Media in January 2018 after spending four-plus years as Managing Editor of Robotics Trends Media. He can be reached at scrowe@wtwhmedia.com

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

Cambrian Robotics was among the many trade show demonstrations witnessed by Oliver Mitchell.
VC reflects on robotics trade show season
By integrating robotics, advanced motion control, and intelligent safety systems, this innovative solution delivered exceptional results for a time sensitive infrastructure project.
Welding project uses robotics to crunch 12 workhours into 45 minutes
From surveillance to public service: the rise of drone swarms
atlas looks at the floor.
How Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid adapts to changing environments

RBR50 Innovation Awards

“rr
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Robotics Professionals.
The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Episode of The Robot Report Podcast

Automated Warehouse Research Reports

Sponsored Content

  • How to Set Up a Planetary Gear Motion with SOLIDWORKS
  • Sager Electronics and its partners, logos shown here, will exhibit at the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo. Sager Electronics to exhibit at the Robotics Summit & Expo
  • The Shift in Robotics: How Visual Perception is Separating Winners from the Pack
  • An AutoStore automated storage and retrieval grid. Webinar to provide automated storage and retrieval adoption advice
  • Smaller, tougher devices for evolving demands
The Robot Report
  • Automated Warehouse
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Humanoids
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Business
    • Financial
      • Investments
      • Mergers & Acquisitions
      • Earnings
    • Markets
      • Agriculture
      • Healthcare
      • Logistics
      • Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Security
    • RBR50
      • RBR50 Winners 2025
      • RBR50 Winners 2024
      • RBR50 Winners 2023
      • RBR50 Winners 2022
      • RBR50 Winners 2021
  • Resources
    • Automated Warehouse Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • eBooks
    • Publications
      • Automated Warehouse
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe