A firsthand experience with Waymo’s autonomous taxi suggests it may offer a better user experience than Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.
On Monday, CleanTechnica introduced the story of a Tesla FSD V13 user who traveled to Phoenix, Arizona, to try out Waymo’s self-driving taxi.
According to the driver, while Waymo’s driving quality is similar to that of Tesla FSD, Waymo stands out regarding passenger experience. The report noted that Waymo was as easy to use as ride-hailing services like Lyft and Uber and even more affordable.
Upon closer examination, Waymo’s driving style resembled that of Tesla FSD V13. The vehicle moved confidently on the road while showing notable caution around pedestrians and cyclists. However, the driver pointed out some inconveniences, such as walking to specific pickup points in certain areas.
The driver emphasized that the most surprising aspect of the Waymo ride was its significantly superior passenger experience compared to Tesla FSD. Unlike Tesla’s system, which still requires constant monitoring by the driver and can cause mental fatigue during city driving, Waymo offers fully autonomous driving, allowing passengers to relax comfortably in the back seat. However, the driver added that this experience alone does not definitively prove that Waymo has surpassed Tesla in all aspects.
Meanwhile, Tesla is preparing to release FSD V14 and will launch its robotaxi service in Austin this June. On this point, CleanTechnica noted that it remains uncertain whether Tesla will truly achieve full autonomy with the new version or if it will amount to yet another overhyped prediction.
