Tesla says its US-based robotaxi support is better than Waymo's Philippines team

A hot potato: Tesla and Waymo are having a spat over their respective robotaxi services. After Waymo admitted that its autonomous driving system often requires real-time input from human agents, many of whom are based in the Philippines, Telsla said it also relies on remote operators – but it only hires people based in the US.

Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, recently noted that while some of the company's remote-assistance (RA) contractors work in the US, many operate from other countries, such as the Philippines.

In recent comments filed with the California Public Utilities Commission, Tesla admitted that its Robotaxi service relies on both in-car human drivers and domestic remote operators.

Elon Musk's firm says its model is more reliable than Waymo's, as illustrated by the December 2025 blackout in San Francisco that left clusters of Waymo's white Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis idling motionless at intersections ...