American automotive giant Ford has decided against integrating Tesla`s autopilot system into its future vehicles, according to a report by Fortune magazine.
Speaking at a festival in Aspen, Colorado, Ford CEO Jim Farley acknowledged the significant progress made by both Tesla and Waymo in developing autonomous driving technologies. Farley confirmed that Ford had engaged in discussions with both companies but ultimately opted for Waymo`s solution.
“For our purposes, Waymo is a better fit,” Farley stated. He elaborated on his decision, highlighting a key difference: Tesla`s autopilot technology relies solely on cameras, while Waymo utilizes lidar, a laser rangefinder. Farley believes lidar is more advanced and reliable for road conditions, explaining that “in situations where a camera might be completely blinded, lidar clearly sees what is in front of you.”
Fortune recalled that Tesla CEO Elon Musk`s decision to base their system solely on cameras was made years ago. In 2023, Musk offered to license Tesla`s autopilot technology to other automakers, but so far, no company has taken him up on the offer. It`s also worth noting that Ford, in partnership with Volkswagen, invested a billion dollars into the autonomous driving startup Argo AI, but the project was discontinued in 2022.
Earlier in April, Elon Musk criticized Waymo`s approach, suggesting that vehicles equipped with their system are produced in limited volumes due to the high cost of lidar sensors.
In other news concerning Tesla`s advancements, Elon Musk recently announced in late June that the first production Tesla Model Y completed a fully autonomous delivery journey from the factory to the customer.
Rupert Blackwood 
Barnaby Whitfield