Tesla Driverless Robotaxi Avoids Collision With Waymo As Autonomous Rivals Cross Paths In Austin

A Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) driverless Robotaxi in Austin swerved to avoid a collision with an oncoming Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Waymo self-driving vehicle.

Tesla Avoids Collision

In a video shared by TslaChan on Monday on the social media platform X, the influencer said that the Waymo vehicle drove on to the road at "a steeper angle than expected," but the driverless Robotaxi "detected it early and performed a Collision Avoidance Assist.”

Waymo didn't immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment

The video showcased the Waymo vehicle turning onto the road. The Waymo then appears to cross the yellow lines marked on the road. It’s worth noting that yellow lines prohibit any overtaking.

Waymo's NHTSA Investigation

The news comes as Waymo has been under NHTSA scrutiny following reports of two separate incidents involving a Waymo AV.

The first incident, which took place near Los Angeles' Echo Park area, was confirmed with surveillance footage and eyewitness reports that a Waymo "Ojai" Robotaxi driven by a human driver crashed into several parked vehicles.

The other incident involved a Waymo vehicle colliding with a child in Sacramento, California, near an elementary school. Following the incident, NHTSA said that 3,000 Waymo AVs could be under investigation.

Waymo's Remote Guides Row, Lars Moravy Urges Federal Framework

Meanwhile, Waymo's Chief Safety Officer, Dr. Mauricio Peña, at a Senate Committee of Commerce hearing, confirmed that Waymo has employees based in the Philippines, who guide its AVs in some situations.

The testimony was criticized by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who said that the AV company "using people 8000 miles away in the Philippines," to guide its U.S.-based AVs should scare us all."

Tesla's VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, during his testimony at the Senate hearing, urged lawmakers to realize the need for a federal regulatory framework that would dictate autonomous vehicles in the U.S.

Benzinga Edge Rankings show that Alphabet scores well on the Momentum and Quality metrics and offers a favorable price trend in the Long Term.

Price Action: GOOGL slid 0.03% during pre-market trading on Tuesday to $324.22.

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