Forget Robotaxis - Ford Just Drove Straight Into Tesla's Valuation Problem

Core Viewpoint - Ford's CEO Jim Farley challenges Tesla's approach to autonomy, emphasizing the superiority of lidar-based systems like Waymo's over Tesla's camera-only model, highlighting concerns about consumer trust and safety [1][2] Group 1: Tesla's Valuation - Tesla is currently valued as if it has already achieved full autonomy, with a market cap of $1.02 trillion, a forward P/E of 163.9x, and an EV/EBITDA of 72.9x [3] - In comparison, Alphabet (Waymo's parent) has a market cap of $2.17 trillion, a forward P/E of 19.1x, and an EV/EBITDA of 14.0x, while Ford's market cap stands at $50 billion with a forward P/E of 6.7x and an EV/EBITDA of 10.3x [3] - Tesla's forward P/E is nearly 9 times that of Alphabet and over 24 times that of Ford, despite the negligible revenue impact from autonomy [3] Group 2: Industry Perspectives - Ford has shifted its focus away from pursuing Level 4 autonomy, opting instead for "eyes-off" highway driving, indicating a more pragmatic approach to autonomous vehicle technology [2][4] - The reluctance of legacy automakers like Ford to fully embrace autonomy suggests that the anticipated robotaxi future may be further away than the market currently believes [4] Group 3: Alphabet's Position - Alphabet's Waymo is positioned as a more grounded investment opportunity, logging over 250,000 paid rides weekly and operating commercially without the pricing risks associated with Tesla [5] - Alphabet's core business is trading at less than 20 times forward earnings, making it a potentially undervalued player in the autonomous vehicle space [5]