Tesla could collect the data without allowing the car to drive autonomously. I think this case also raises the question of whether Tesla has the right sensors

Tesla could collect the data without allowing the car to drive autonomously. I think this case also raises the question of whether Tesla has the right sensors on the car. They may not have adequate dynamic range in their cameras and seems like their radar system isn't a true 3d mapping radar. Being able to detect a moving target that crosses the car's path seems like a fairly fundamental requirement of any driving system. Google has a lot more data than their autonomously driven miles (e.g. their street view data and presumably more) and they're still not comfortable enough with what they've got. Their initial results looked very promising but it seems they've become more cautious over time. I don't think Google is squandering their lead. I think they've just gotten to that part of the curve where they realize this is a harder problem than what they initially projected. The others haven't gotten there yet.