The reality is the Ford can't even compete with Tesla on EVs from a profit margin point of view. Working with Waymo would allow Ford to survive for a few more years, at which point Waymo would probably merge or buy Ford. In the long run, Waymo needs to be vertically integrated like Tesla/Apple.
Obviously. Tesla tech isn't about optimal FSD. It's about expanding the reach of connected camera feeds.
I don't think Farley gets it entirely:
“When you have a brand like Ford, when there’s a new technology, you have to be really careful,” Farley said at the Aspen Ideas Festival on Friday. “We really believe that LiDAR is mission critical,” Farley said
LIDAR is just one sensor type. Without Google's geospatial data, is LIDAR a decisive capability? Without all those Google Maps users providing data? Google, hence Waymo, probably has advantages that are hard to guess.