Waymo founder calls out Tesla for concerning feature in Full Self-Driving system: '[It] wouldn't even pass a DMV vision test'

Former Waymo CEO John Krafcik is again raising concerns about Tesla's long-term roadmap for its Full Self-Driving technology. At CES 2026, Krafcik went so far as to declare that FSD's camera-based system "wouldn't even pass a DMV vision test."

What's happening?

Electrek analyzed Krafcik's pointed comments, which came in a chat with Automotive News (@automotivenews). He argued that Tesla's approach, which replicates human vision, will hold the company back from ever going fully autonomous.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said that the cameras and data processing power of the system replicate human eyes and the brain and will therefore be sufficient. Krafcik vehemently disagreed, saying FSD suffers from a "bad case of myopia," and that features such as lidar and radar — which are used by other manufacturers — are necessary.

Tesla long ago abandoned those technologies, but Krafcik said the combination can make vehicles "truly superhuman."

"With that level of data, you can do amazing things, as opposed to a car that has a really bad case of myopia, should be wearing glasses, and operates on a very limited data cycle," he concluded.

Why is Krafcik's FSD takedown important?

It's tempting to chalk up Krafcik's comments as biased or to say they merely came in the spirit of competition. However, Electrek pointed out his track record, including a prediction that Tesla would "fake" milestones.

That skepticism around the rollout of Robotaxis was on the money. The vehicles still feature remote monitors and safety drivers months after they were supposed to be phased out. They also still get into crashes despite those extra precautions.

Fully autonomous vehicles offer a lot of promise in promoting electric vehicles, which are crucial for a future with less pollution. While there are other players besides Tesla in the crowded space, its failure could impact customer trust and adoption of the nascent technology.

High-profile incidents are of course bad in and of themselves. If Musk continues down this path and Krafcik's assessment of the system is correct, it could badly damage not just Tesla but the entire autonomous driving space.

What's being done about FSD's shortcomings?

For Tesla, it seems the plan is to continue doing what it's doing. Electrek noted it seemed intent on solving the FSD problem by giving more information to the vehicle and hoping that's enough.

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Krafcik was dubious about that, and it's hard to argue that already difficult-to-navigate scenarios such as blinding sunlight, heavy rain, and low-contrast environments can be figured out with that sort of thinking.

As it stands, Waymo is fully autonomous, and Tesla isn't. That's something the former can tout. Tesla has a lot riding on autonomous driving. If it never gets to that goal, it could spell serious trouble for the brand's long-term competitiveness since it already is experiencing flagging sales.

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