Tesla Faces Fierce New Rival in Self-Driving Race

The article says Tesla’s self-driving lead is being challenged by UK startup Wayve, whose AI Driver software can be licensed to multiple automakers rather than being tied only to Tesla vehicles. Wayve has already begun working with Stellantis and may also be adopted by Nissan, giving it potential access to tens of millions of annual vehicle sales across global brands. The piece argues this licensing model could be a major strategic advantage versus Tesla’s Full Self-Driving, which remains locked to Tesla cars. However, the article also stresses that all autonomous-driving players face the same regulatory bottleneck: city-by-city approval, with no self-driving vehicles yet approved for public sale. The overall impact is negative for TSLA’s perceived autonomy moat, though the commercialization timeline for all competitors remains long and uncertain.