Maybe. I guess another possibility is some people deliberately ignore evidence that doesn't fit their worldview for reasons that are yet unknown to me.
> I've never seen a Waymo on the street.
Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it doesn't exist. https://techcrunch.com/2024/08/20/waymo-is-now-giving-100000... there are around 100k people using waymo self-driving every week.
> However, I've sat in a Tesla myself and watched it navigate the roads in my hometown.
https://www.tesla.com/en_gb/support/autopilot "Before using Autopilot, read your Owner's Manual for instructions and more safety information. While using Autopilot, it is your responsibility to stay alert, keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times and maintain control of your vehicle. "
This is not self driving.
> By 'make self-driving work', I meant deploy that technology cheaply and widely.
I see only one company deploying self-driving technology and that's not tesla.