Chinese autonomous vehicle brands are making decisive moves toward robotaxis.

Rather than trying to dominate the entire ecosystem like Tesla, they’re advancing through strategic partnerships — linking ride-hailing platforms with car manufacturers.

In my view, Tesla’s weak spot lies in its sensor philosophy. Musk insists on relying solely on cameras to keep prices low. But what if LiDAR and radar sensors become dramatically cheaper?

I understand his argument: since humans drive using only vision (and hearing), there’s no fundamental reason a car can’t do the same with cameras. Yet why take that risk, when you could add the sensory abilities of a bat or a dolphin — even just as a backup?

- SL