Former Waymo CEO John Krafcik Not Impressed with Tesla's Robotaxi as Elon Musk Defends Against Critics: 'They Will Change Their Tune...'
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 18 2025
0mins
Should l Buy GOOG?
Source: Benzinga
Krafcik's Skepticism: John Krafcik, former CEO of Waymo, expressed doubts about Tesla's Robotaxi, stating that the presence of an employee in the car means it cannot be considered a true Robotaxi.
Musk's Response: Elon Musk reacted to Krafcik's criticism by suggesting that detractors will shift their narrative from questioning Tesla's self-driving capabilities to claiming they are "unfairly good."
Tesla's Ride-Hailing Service: Tesla operates an invite-only ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area but is unable to launch fully autonomous Robotaxis due to lack of permits in California.
Sales Performance: While Tesla faces declining sales in regions like the UK, it saw a 24% increase in sales in Norway, with over 13,039 deliveries reported.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy GOOG?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on GOOG
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOG stock price to fall
15 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 381.940
Low
255.00
Averages
336.08
High
400.00
Current: 381.940
Low
255.00
Averages
336.08
High
400.00
About GOOG
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Alphabet Q1 Earnings Exceed Expectations
- Strong Earnings Report: Alphabet's Q1 GAAP EPS of $5.11 surpassed expectations by $2.44, demonstrating robust profitability and reinforcing market confidence in the company's financial health.
- Significant Revenue Growth: Total revenue reached $109.9 billion, a 21.8% year-over-year increase that exceeded expectations by $2.87 billion, reflecting strong performance across all business segments and marking the 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
- Accelerated Cloud Business: Google Cloud revenues surged 63% to $20.0 billion, driven by increased demand for enterprise AI solutions and infrastructure, indicating a larger market share in the rapidly growing cloud computing sector.
- Dividend Increase: The company announced a 5% increase in its dividend, resulting in a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22, which underscores its commitment to shareholder returns and reflects strong cash flow and profitability.
See More
US Stocks Rise on Strong Big Tech Earnings Amid Fed Uncertainty
- Fed Policy Stability: The Federal Reserve has held its policy rate steady at 3.50%-3.75% for the third consecutive meeting, reflecting uncertainty in the economic outlook, which may reduce market expectations for future rate hikes and provide support for stock prices.
- Strong Tech Earnings: Apple (AAPL) reported a second-quarter EPS of $2.01, beating estimates by $0.07, with revenue reaching $111.18 billion, a 16.5% year-over-year increase, demonstrating strong demand for the iPhone 17 and further solidifying its market position.
- OPEC Strategic Shift: The United Arab Emirates announced its exit from OPEC and OPEC+, aiming to gain more flexibility over its oil production policy, which could have significant implications for global oil prices and the performance of related energy stocks.
- Meta Capital Expenditure Surge: Meta (META) anticipates capital expenditures of $125 billion to $145 billion in 2026, up from a previous target of $115 billion to $135 billion, despite a 10% drop in stock price following its quarterly report that failed to meet market expectations.
See More
AI-Driven Surge Propels S&P 500 to New Heights
- Market Performance Review: The S&P 500 index surged approximately 10.5% in April, marking its best monthly performance since 2020, despite ongoing economic uncertainties from conflicts in the Middle East, indicating strong market confidence in future growth.
- AI Investment Surge: U.S. hyperscalers are projected to invest $670 billion in AI infrastructure in 2023, with analysts predicting this figure could rise to $770 billion by 2026, highlighting the profound impact of AI investments on the overall economy.
- Industry Revenue Boost: The AI investment boom is driving revenue and profit growth across various sectors, particularly in cloud computing and semiconductors, with Nvidia and Micron Technology rising 20% and 61% in April, respectively, reflecting strong market demand for AI-related technologies.
- Surging Power Demand: Due to the immense power needs of AI data centers, Dominion Energy plans to invest nearly $55 billion in building facilities to support these demands, demonstrating the far-reaching effects of AI on the energy sector.
See More
Technological Revolutions Create New Investment Opportunities
- Generative AI Leader: Alphabet's Gemini models are industry frontrunners, with Gemini 3 surpassing OpenAI and Anthropic's frontier models at launch, leading to a significant licensing deal with Apple that is expected to enhance Siri's market competitiveness.
- Surge in Cloud Demand: Google Cloud's revenue grew 36% in 2025, accelerating notably in Q4, driven by its custom tensor processing units (TPUs) outperforming general-purpose GPUs in AI training and inference tasks, further solidifying its market position.
- Leading Quantum Computing Research: Alphabet's advancements in quantum computing were highlighted in October when it demonstrated an algorithm running 13,000 times faster than on classical supercomputers, paving the way for breakthroughs in drug discovery and materials science.
- Robotaxi Service Expansion: Alphabet's Waymo subsidiary is rapidly expanding its robotaxi services across the U.S., now serving 11 cities and recently opening to the public in Miami and Orlando, with a latest funding round valuing it at $126 billion, indicating potential for meaningful revenue growth.
See More
Alphabet Leads in AI and Quantum Computing Innovations
- AI Technology Leadership: Alphabet's Gemini models have outperformed frontier models from OpenAI and Anthropic, leading to a significant licensing deal with Apple, which is expected to drive further growth in the AI market.
- Surge in Cloud Demand: Google Cloud revenue increased by 36% in 2025, with a notable acceleration in Q4, reflecting strong demand from developers and enterprises for its AI services, thereby solidifying Alphabet's leadership in the cloud computing sector.
- Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Alphabet's research in quantum computing achieved a significant milestone by demonstrating an algorithm running 13,000 times faster than on classical supercomputers, indicating potential breakthroughs in drug discovery and materials science, enhancing its technological edge.
- Diverse Investment Portfolio: Alphabet manages $7 billion through CapitalG and its $900 million investment in SpaceX could now be worth $100 billion, showcasing its strategic positioning and long-term growth potential in frontier technology sectors.
See More
Stock Market Rebounds, Apple and Broadcom Enter Buy Zones
- Market Rebound: The stock market rebounded late last week after a brief pause, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching new highs, indicating a restoration of investor confidence and increased market activity.
- Apple Stock Position: Apple is currently in a buy zone, suggesting that investors are optimistic about its future growth potential, which may attract more capital inflow and further drive up its stock price.
- Broadcom Stock Opportunity: Broadcom is also considered to be in a buy zone, with investors optimistic about its strong performance in the semiconductor industry and future profitability, potentially enhancing its market performance.
- Investor Sentiment Recovery: The overall market rebound not only reflects a resurgence of confidence in tech stocks but may also signal signs of economic recovery, attracting more investors to participate in the market and driving overall economic growth.
See More
Alphabet Q1 Earnings Exceed Expectations
- Strong Earnings Report: Alphabet's Q1 GAAP EPS of $5.11 surpassed expectations by $2.44, demonstrating robust profitability and reinforcing market confidence in the company's financial health.
- Significant Revenue Growth: Total revenue reached $109.9 billion, a 21.8% year-over-year increase that exceeded expectations by $2.87 billion, reflecting strong performance across all business segments and marking the 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
- Accelerated Cloud Business: Google Cloud revenues surged 63% to $20.0 billion, driven by increased demand for enterprise AI solutions and infrastructure, indicating a larger market share in the rapidly growing cloud computing sector.
- Dividend Increase: The company announced a 5% increase in its dividend, resulting in a quarterly cash dividend of $0.22, which underscores its commitment to shareholder returns and reflects strong cash flow and profitability.
See More
US Stocks Rise on Strong Big Tech Earnings Amid Fed Uncertainty
- Fed Policy Stability: The Federal Reserve has held its policy rate steady at 3.50%-3.75% for the third consecutive meeting, reflecting uncertainty in the economic outlook, which may reduce market expectations for future rate hikes and provide support for stock prices.
- Strong Tech Earnings: Apple (AAPL) reported a second-quarter EPS of $2.01, beating estimates by $0.07, with revenue reaching $111.18 billion, a 16.5% year-over-year increase, demonstrating strong demand for the iPhone 17 and further solidifying its market position.
- OPEC Strategic Shift: The United Arab Emirates announced its exit from OPEC and OPEC+, aiming to gain more flexibility over its oil production policy, which could have significant implications for global oil prices and the performance of related energy stocks.
- Meta Capital Expenditure Surge: Meta (META) anticipates capital expenditures of $125 billion to $145 billion in 2026, up from a previous target of $115 billion to $135 billion, despite a 10% drop in stock price following its quarterly report that failed to meet market expectations.
See More
AI-Driven Surge Propels S&P 500 to New Heights
- Market Performance Review: The S&P 500 index surged approximately 10.5% in April, marking its best monthly performance since 2020, despite ongoing economic uncertainties from conflicts in the Middle East, indicating strong market confidence in future growth.
- AI Investment Surge: U.S. hyperscalers are projected to invest $670 billion in AI infrastructure in 2023, with analysts predicting this figure could rise to $770 billion by 2026, highlighting the profound impact of AI investments on the overall economy.
- Industry Revenue Boost: The AI investment boom is driving revenue and profit growth across various sectors, particularly in cloud computing and semiconductors, with Nvidia and Micron Technology rising 20% and 61% in April, respectively, reflecting strong market demand for AI-related technologies.
- Surging Power Demand: Due to the immense power needs of AI data centers, Dominion Energy plans to invest nearly $55 billion in building facilities to support these demands, demonstrating the far-reaching effects of AI on the energy sector.
See More
Technological Revolutions Create New Investment Opportunities
- Generative AI Leader: Alphabet's Gemini models are industry frontrunners, with Gemini 3 surpassing OpenAI and Anthropic's frontier models at launch, leading to a significant licensing deal with Apple that is expected to enhance Siri's market competitiveness.
- Surge in Cloud Demand: Google Cloud's revenue grew 36% in 2025, accelerating notably in Q4, driven by its custom tensor processing units (TPUs) outperforming general-purpose GPUs in AI training and inference tasks, further solidifying its market position.
- Leading Quantum Computing Research: Alphabet's advancements in quantum computing were highlighted in October when it demonstrated an algorithm running 13,000 times faster than on classical supercomputers, paving the way for breakthroughs in drug discovery and materials science.
- Robotaxi Service Expansion: Alphabet's Waymo subsidiary is rapidly expanding its robotaxi services across the U.S., now serving 11 cities and recently opening to the public in Miami and Orlando, with a latest funding round valuing it at $126 billion, indicating potential for meaningful revenue growth.
See More
Alphabet Leads in AI and Quantum Computing Innovations
- AI Technology Leadership: Alphabet's Gemini models have outperformed frontier models from OpenAI and Anthropic, leading to a significant licensing deal with Apple, which is expected to drive further growth in the AI market.
- Surge in Cloud Demand: Google Cloud revenue increased by 36% in 2025, with a notable acceleration in Q4, reflecting strong demand from developers and enterprises for its AI services, thereby solidifying Alphabet's leadership in the cloud computing sector.
- Quantum Computing Breakthrough: Alphabet's research in quantum computing achieved a significant milestone by demonstrating an algorithm running 13,000 times faster than on classical supercomputers, indicating potential breakthroughs in drug discovery and materials science, enhancing its technological edge.
- Diverse Investment Portfolio: Alphabet manages $7 billion through CapitalG and its $900 million investment in SpaceX could now be worth $100 billion, showcasing its strategic positioning and long-term growth potential in frontier technology sectors.
See More
Stock Market Rebounds, Apple and Broadcom Enter Buy Zones
- Market Rebound: The stock market rebounded late last week after a brief pause, with both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq reaching new highs, indicating a restoration of investor confidence and increased market activity.
- Apple Stock Position: Apple is currently in a buy zone, suggesting that investors are optimistic about its future growth potential, which may attract more capital inflow and further drive up its stock price.
- Broadcom Stock Opportunity: Broadcom is also considered to be in a buy zone, with investors optimistic about its strong performance in the semiconductor industry and future profitability, potentially enhancing its market performance.
- Investor Sentiment Recovery: The overall market rebound not only reflects a resurgence of confidence in tech stocks but may also signal signs of economic recovery, attracting more investors to participate in the market and driving overall economic growth.
See More
