TLDR
- Musk said Nvidia autonomous driving technology won’t compete with Tesla FSD for 5-6 years.
- Nvidia announced Alpamayo at CES 2026, open-source AI models for self-driving vehicles.
- Legacy automakers need years to integrate cameras and AI computers at scale.
- Nvidia CEO Huang called Tesla FSD “the most advanced AV stack in the world.”
- Tesla operates robotaxi service in Austin and supervised ride-hailing in San Francisco.
Elon Musk dismissed Nvidia’s new autonomous driving technology as years away from competing with Tesla. The CEO said it will take at least five to six years before Nvidia poses a real threat.
Nvidia announced Alpamayo at CES 2026 on Monday. The open-source AI model family targets autonomous vehicle development. Nvidia demonstrated the system navigating a Mercedes through Las Vegas streets.
Musk responded on X after users compared Nvidia’s system to Tesla FSD. He outlined a timeline showing why competition remains distant. Achieving safer-than-human driving takes several years according to Musk.
Legacy automakers then face additional delays. “The legacy car companies won’t design the cameras and AI computers into their cars at scale until several years after that,” he wrote.
Musk said reaching 99% accuracy is easy. The final 1% creates the real challenge. He called it “super hard to solve the long tail of the distribution.”
Nvidia Takes Different Approach
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang explained his company’s strategy Tuesday. Nvidia builds autonomous vehicle stacks for other automakers. The company doesn’t manufacture cars itself.
“Our system is really quite pervasive because we’re a technology platform provider,” Huang said. This separates Nvidia from Tesla’s direct-to-consumer model.
Huang praised Tesla’s technology despite the competitive positioning. He called Musk’s FSD approach “state-of-the-art” during a Bloomberg interview. “I think Elon’s approach is about as state-of-the-art as anybody knows,” Huang said.
He described Tesla’s FSD stack as “world-class.” Huang said he wouldn’t criticize Tesla’s technology. He encouraged the company to continue its current path.
Tesla FSD Strategy
Full Self-Driving drives Tesla’s long-term revenue plans. The company launched limited robotaxi service in Austin last summer. Tesla runs another ride-hailing program in San Francisco.
The San Francisco service requires drivers behind the wheel. Musk has promised fully autonomous cars for over a decade. Tesla said last August it’s training a new FSD model.
The technology operates in supervised mode. Drivers must stay alert and ready to take control. Musk’s timeline suggests limited near-term competitive pressure on Tesla’s self-driving business.
