Elon Musk Says ‘Pretty Much’ After Meme Mocks Waymo’s Sensor-Packed Robotaxi, as Self-Driving Rivalry Heats UpBenzingaShomik Sen BhattacharjeeTue, September 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleElon Musk Says ‘Pretty Much’ After Meme Mocks Waymo’s Sensor-Packed Robotaxi, as Self-Driving Rivalry Heats UpBenzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.Elon Musk agreed with a meme mocking the sensor-heavy appearance of Alphabet Inc.-owned Waymo's robotaxis compared with Tesla Inc.'s Cybercab as competition between the two autonomous-driving approaches intensifies.Musk's Response to Meme Revives Robotaxi Sensor DebateThe meme juxtaposed a sharply dressed figure with another covered in cameras and equipment, captioned "Hi I'm a Cybercab" and "And I'm a Waymo."AdvertisementAdvertisementDon't Miss:A single bad hire can set a startup back years. Here are the 5 hires founders most often misjudge — and whyStill Learning the Market? These 50 Must-Know Terms Can Help You Catch Up FastReacting to the post on X, Musk wrote, "Pretty much." His response came days after Tesla began limited Cybercab rides in Austin, where the two-seat vehicle operates without a steering wheel or pedals.Pretty much— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 7, 2026The post taps into a long-running divide. Tesla relies primarily on cameras and artificial intelligence, while Waymo's sixth-generation Driver combines cameras, lidar and radar.Trending: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your 'Safe' Holdings Could Be Costing You Big TimeTesla Says Intelligence Matters More Than SensorsTesla AI chief Ashok Elluswamy made the company's case at the Cybercab launch, saying experts had argued that Tesla "cannot build a safe self-driving vehicle with just cameras."AdvertisementAdvertisement"We always thought the core issue for self-driving is one of intelligence," said Elluswamy, adding that "no sensor in the world is going to tell you what is going to happen in the future." Tesla instead built an "AI-first, end-to-end" driving stack using camera imagery.Musk has repeatedly made the same argument. In July, after Volvo Group dropped Luminar lidar from two electric models, Musk wrote, "I did try to warn them," adding, "Humans drive using neural nets and optical sensors. Same is true for robot cars."See Also: Skip the Regrets: The Essential Retirement Tips Experts Wish Everyone Knew Earlier.During Tesla's January 2025 earnings call, Musk reaffirmed his opposition to lidar, arguing that humans drive with "eyes and a neural net" rather than lasers. Tesla also recently touted Cybercab's "operational efficiency" against Waymo.Waymo Defends Its Multi-Sensor Safety ApproachSrikanth Thirumalai, Waymo's vice president of onboard software, recently rejected the idea that extra sensors are unnecessary in an Axios interview. The company's sixth-generation platform combines cameras, lidar and radar.AdvertisementAdvertisementImage via ShutterstockRead Next: Think you're saving enough for your kids? You might be dangerously off — see whyBuilding Wealth Across More Than Just the MarketBuilding a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. 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