The race for autonomous dominance: Alphabet’s Waymo vs. adze

Key points:

• Waymo recorded 100,000 trips in one week, showing strong progress in self-driving technology.
• Tesla and Chinese companies are leaders in data collection, but Waymo’s technology-focused approach is competitive.
• The successful commercialization of Waymo could significantly increase Alphabet’s market value.
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In a recent conversation, Wall Street veterans Douglas McIntyre and Lee Jackson discuss Alphabet’s (NASDAQ: GOOG ) involvement in the self-driving car industry through its subsidiary, Waymo. They point to Waymo’s recent milestone of 100,000 rides in a week, which they consider impressive for a nascent service. The conversation compares Waymo’s approach to that of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA ), noting Tesla’s extensive data collection through its vehicles, which gives it an edge in mapping and AI capabilities. They also cite competition from Chinese companies that similarly collect large amounts of data. While they acknowledge that self-driving technology is still in its early stages, they believe Waymo is close to making significant progress.

A summary of the highlights of their conversations follows.

• Alphabet, widely known as Google, is heavily invested in the self-driving car business through its subsidiary Waymo.
• Waymo recently completed 100,000 trips in one week, signaling significant progress in the self-driving vehicle industry.

Comparing Waymo to Tesla and Chinese Competitors

• Waymo’s approach differs from Tesla’s, which uses extensive video data from its vehicles to map US roads.
• Unlike Tesla, Waymo relies more on in-car technology than pre-mapped data, which presents both challenges and opportunities.
• Chinese companies like Baidu are also at the forefront of data collection, creating a competitive landscape in the self-driving market.

The strategic importance of self-driving technology

• Tesla’s current market valuation is heavily influenced by its advances in self-driving technology.
• Alphabet sees the potential of self-driving cars as a multibillion-dollar opportunity, especially as it faces other challenges, such as potential antitrust actions.

Future prospects and collaborations

• Alphabet’s extensive mapping data from Google Maps and Street View could give Waymo an edge in the self-driving vehicle race.
• The possibility of a joint venture between Alphabet and Tesla is intriguing but unlikely, as Tesla’s valuation is tied to its own AI and self-driving capabilities.

The way forward for autonomous cars

• Self-driving technology is still developing, with occasional accidents highlighting the need for further refinement.
• Waymo appears close to a breakthrough that could turn self-driving cars into a mainstream commercial product, with a significant impact on Alphabet’s market cap.

Potential market impact and advertising integration

• Alphabet is looking to expand its advertising reach, which could be integrated with its self-driving car business for further growth.
• The success of self-driving cars could offset concerns about competition from uncensored AI search engines and other emerging threats.

Reviewing the future of autonomous vehicles

• As the technology advances, announcements from companies like Tesla or Waymo could accelerate the adoption of self-driving cars.
• The conversation about self-driving vehicles will continue to evolve, with future developments potentially reshaping the industry.

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