Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said Nvidia’s autonomous driving software will not seriously challenge Tesla for five to six years or more.
Musk said the gap reflects the long transition from partial autonomy to systems that are safer than human drivers.
He added that legacy carmakers face further delays integrating cameras and AI hardware into mass-produced vehicles.
Nvidia unveiled its open-source Alpamayo AI model family for self-driving systems at CES 2026.
The company demonstrated the software navigating city streets in Las Vegas using camera-based vision.
The actual time from when a self-driving car sort of works to where it is much safer than a human is several years.
Elon Musk said.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang praised Tesla’s approach, calling it the most advanced autonomous vehicle stack in the industry.
I think Elon’s approach is about as state-of-the-art as anybody knows of autonomous driving and robotics.
Jensen Huang said.
Tesla relies on its Tesla Vision system, which uses cameras instead of lidar and has removed radar and ultrasonic sensors from many vehicles.
Advances in autonomy have faced setbacks, including recent recalls and service suspensions by rival robotaxi operators.
Tesla’s self-driving efforts continue to face scrutiny over safety following high-profile crashes and federal investigations.