Science & Tech · Gadgets & EVs · 33 mins ago
Musk says Tesla robotaxis will be updated to avoid roaming pets
Elon Musk criticized Waymo, a company that operates robotaxis, for collisions with animals and called its vehicles “pet destroyers.”
He said Tesla plans to update its Robotaxi service so its vehicles can detect roaming pets at night, but did not say when the update will arrive.
Waymo has faced criticism since one of its vehicles killed a well-known San Francisco cat named KitKat in October 2025.
Under US safety rules, autonomous vehicle companies must report certain crashes.
From July 2025 to July 2026, Waymo reported at least nine crashes involving animals, including six it described as involving domestic animals.
Tesla also reported an animal collision during that period, involving a supervised vehicle, and operated a smaller robotaxi fleet than Waymo.
The issue matters because self-driving vehicles must detect animals in difficult conditions, such as low visibility at night.
Elon Musk said Tesla plans to update its robotaxis to better detect and avoid small animals, including pets at night.
He said the vehicles face challenges spotting gray kittens on gray roads in low visibility.
Musk called rival Waymo’s robotaxis “pet destroyers” and criticized their reported animal collisions.
NHTSA data cited in the articles show Waymo reported at least nine animal-related crashes from July 2025 to July 2026.
Tesla also reported one animal-related collision during that period, involving a supervised robotaxi.
Musk did not specify when Tesla would deploy the update.
- Who
- Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, described a planned robotaxi update and criticized Waymo.
- What
- Tesla plans to update its robotaxis to better detect and avoid small animals. Musk did not give a deployment date.
- When
- Musk discussed the issue at an event on October 10, 2026, according to Donga Ilbo. The articles report animal-crash data for July 2025 to July 2026.
- Where
- The interview was at an event hosted by Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley. The articles do not state where it was held.
- Why
- Musk said Tesla wants to avoid hitting pets and small animals, including in low visibility at night.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A Waymo vehicle ran over KitKat, a cat in a San Francisco neighborhood, and the cat died.
Waymo reported at least nine animal-related crashes, including six it described as involving domestic animals; Tesla reported one animal-related collision involving a supervised robotaxi.
Musk discussed animal detection and the planned Tesla robotaxi update during an event hosted by Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley.
Business Insider published its report on Musk’s comments and the planned update.
Donga Ilbo published its report on Musk’s comments and the planned update.
- Tesla update
- Planned to help robotaxis detect and avoid small animals, including at night
- Deployment timing
- Musk did not specify when the update would be deployed
- Waymo animal crashes
- At least 9 reported from July 2025 to July 2026
- Domestic animals
- 6 of Waymo’s reported crashes were described as involving domestic animals
- Tesla animal collision
- 1 reported during the same period; the robotaxi was supervised
- KitKat
- Cat killed by a Waymo vehicle in San Francisco in October 2025
What people are saying
What a lot of people don't know is that Waymos are like pet destroyers,
Well, maybe Waymo's made some improvements on that front, but they do run over a lot of pets, and we don't want to run over pets.
Can we not run over the kittens, type of thing
Sources
Related news
Apple lets customers prepare iPhone Duo pre-orders ahead of Friday
Nothing OS 5.0 with Android 17 starts rolling out to Phone (3)
OnePlus launches 10,000 mAh power bank with 67W charging
Google launches Fitbit Edge with GPS, health tracking and replaceable battery
Apple routes a flexible graphite pipe through the iPhone Duo hinge to manage heat
Timex launches $349 Pan Am Waterbury GMT watch in the US
Citroën unveils electric 2CV concept, with production planned for 2028
Check TV and soundbar compatibility before buying them together
Guide sets minimum features to look for in a cheap Android phone
Lenovo Legion Go 2 2TB model rises to $3,081.99
China’s electric cars are getting heavier, increasing manufacturing emissions
