Podcasts about autonomous cars

David Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief, Bloomberg joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the future of autonomy.Is Waymo preparing to pivot away from owning and operating robotaxi fleets towards licensing the Waymo Driver to companies such as Toyota, and perhaps even Ford and GM? If Waymo were to fully pivot to a licensing model, it could establish a new model in which legacy OEMs become contract manufacturers for autonomous driving developers. With legacy OEMs acting as contract manufacturers, a new ecosystem would emerge in which OEMs build the vehicles, finance companies carry them on their balance sheets, service providers manage operations, and autonomous driving developers supply the autonomous driving systems under licensing agreements.Meanwhile, Foxconn has ambitions to become the contract manufacturer of choice for robotaxi developers. If Foxconn were to enter the sector at scale, who would become the fleet operator? Who would finance the vehicles and own them on their balance sheet?Today, there are still more questions than answers when it comes to the future of autonomy. Yet despite this current uncertainty, the outlines of the industry's next era are beginning to take shape.Episode Chapters0:00 Ford's LiDAR Demands4:16 Financing Autonomous Driving Platforms 5:44 Would GM Sell The Origin Platform to Cruise?13:24 GM & Politics 15:38 Foxconn21:34 Licensing Autonomous Driving Systems 23:15 Fully-Electric Pick-up Trucks30:21 Tesla32:35 Breaking out Robotaxi Revenue 36:11 Waymo41:41 May Mobility on Lyft43:16 Toyota44:53 Waymo OEM Partnerships 46:02 What To Look For in the MarketsRecorded on Monday, July 7, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk headed to Austin, Texas to experience Robotaxi firsthand.After spending the week in Austin and experiencing Robotaxi firsthand, we came away truly impressed. Tesla did it, they cracked full self-driving with a vision-only system. From our very first ride we noticed how the autonomous driving system was confident, yet not risky. It performed at a high-level and even out performed Waymo in several instances when we tested both autonomous driving systems side by side in a variety of real-world scenarios.Over dozens of fully autonomous rides, Robotaxi navigated city streets, handled tricky parking situations, and adapted seamlessly without a single intervention. The experience exceeded our expectations, and further validated that Tesla's vision-only approach is not just a technical milestone, but it is the future of autonomy.Episode Chapters0:00 Robotaxi Special Edition1:29 First Robotaxi Ride and Our Impressions7:47 Robotaxi Learnings11:33 Expanding Austin ODD14:46 Robotaxi, Waymo on Uber20:44 Grocery Stores25:24 Austin, Safety Attendants, & Maintenance29:53 Blending InRecorded the Week of July 7, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dean Foreman, Chief Economist, Texas Oil & Gas Association joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how the powerful intersection of traditional energy and emerging technology are fueling the growth of AI data centers. The Permian Basin with its layered geology and massive reserves continues to attract investment as this prolific oil and natural gas region remains essential to U.S. energy independence. Despite geopolitical uncertainties and high interest rates in the United States, oil markets have proven remarkably resilient.Natural gas is quickly becoming the engine fueling the growth of AI data centers and the digital economy. From pipelines and LNG exports to the economics of co-located power generation, oil and gas aren't just legacy fuels, they're foundational to the future of automation, AI, and global prosperity.Episode Chapters0:00 Current Events Impact on Oil Markets2:59 Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)4:02 Permian Basin 6:33 Global Oil Demand11:58 Natural Gas Markets 16:16 AI Data Centers22:42 Natural Gas Production and Consumption 27:10 Pipelines28:23 Geology of the Permian Basin30:25 Quarterly OutlookRecorded on Tuesday, July 1, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's gradual move away from owning and operate a fleet of robotaxis, Moove's growing fleet ownership ambitions and Ford's LiDAR demands. Moove, a company backed by Uber, is in the process of raising $1.2 billion in debt to purchase Waymo vehicles. Is this yet another signal that Waymo is preparing to shift away from operating a capital-intensive robotaxi business and instead focusing on licensing the Waymo Driver? If this is indeed a signal, what impact will this have on the rideshare industry?As Waymo business appears to be evolving, Ford CEO Jim Farley has publicly declared that any autonomous driving system Ford licenses must use LiDAR. Is this bravado aimed at Tesla, or a genuine strategy?Closing out the episode, Grayson and Walt discuss the failure of the AI preemption clause in the Big Beautiful Bill.Episode Chapters0:00 Moove's $1.2 Billion Dollar Debt Raise4:30 Rideshare Usage in 20 Years12:55 Breaking Down AVOMO and Moove16:45 Uber's Growing Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Asset Ambitions 20:38 Ford's LiDAR Demands22:32 Is Ford Talking to Waymo Again?24:50 Wayve Drive in The Big Apple27:56 Big Beautiful Bill30:29 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, July 3, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Qasar Younis, CEO and Peter Ludwig, CTO, Co-Founders of Applied Intuition joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Applied Intuition's evolution from a tooling platform to a multi-domain vehicle intelligence powerhouse.As Applied Intuition continues to grow, they remain focused on staying paranoid, avoiding arrogance, and learning from companies such as Microsoft to navigate technological shifts. Whether it's building autonomous trucking stacks, enabling collaborative autonomy, or creating seamless digital passports for drivers and passengers, Applied Intuition is positioning itself to become the de facto platform for vehicle intelligence.Episode Chapters0:00 What's Next for Applied Intuition? 9:16 Autonomous Trucking11:46 Autonomy for Defense 15:37 OpenAI Partnership 21:59 Applied Passport25:10 Microsoft of Autonomy30:04 Vehicle Intelligence42:33 Over-the-Air Software Updates 45:34 Meta V-JEPA 249:29 Licensing 54:44 HiringRecorded on Friday, June 20, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla's robotaxi launch in Austin, OpenAI's growing autonomous driving ambitions, Waymo's future and Foxconn's strategic partnership with Elektrobit.The launch of Tesla's robotaxi has sparked polarized reactions with some hailing it as revolutionary, while others have focused on the safety attendant and the limited ODD (Operational Design Domain). During the episode, Grayson and Walt discussed how this measured rollout contrasts with the overhyped expectations, while also emphasizing that no company, including Waymo has scaled robotaxis without any operational issues. Beyond Tesla, the hosts explored how Foxconn's new partnership with Continental's Elektrobit could position it as a contract manufacturer for next-generation autonomous fleets, potentially opening doors for tech giants with autonomous driving ambitions, OpenAI, Nvidia, and Meta to enter the sector.While Waymo is the clear leader in the development and commercialization of robotaxis today, their long-term business ambitions remain shrouded in mystery.Episode Chapters0:00 Tesla Robotaxi Launch6:19 Robotaxi and Waymo Cost Structure Comparsion10:59 Tele-Operations13:28 The Growth of Robotaxi15:15 NHTSA19:00 What's Next for Robotaxi?24:36 Uber & Waymo Open Atlanta Market25:49 Waymo at Airports26:33 Waymo Needs Policy Help29:25 Will Waymo and Lyft Be Friends Again?30:24 Does Waymo Want to Be in the Robotaxi Business?33:49 Is Travis Kalanick Buying Pony AI's U.S. Operations with Uber's Backing?36:30 Foxconn / Elektrobit Partnership43:17 Will Waymo Via Ever Come Back?44:03 Autonomous Delivery Bots47:44 VW ID. Buzz AD50:46 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, June 26, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Send us a textFrom Elephant Butts to Ethical AI — Duncan Curtis on De-Risking GenAI at SamaEpisode intro Duncan Curtis, SVP for GenAI & AI Product + Technology at Sama, has shipped everything from autonomous-vehicle platforms at Zoox to game-changing data products at Google. Today he leads a 160-person team that's reinventing how training data is curated, labeled, and audited so enterprises can ship production-ready GenAI—without the lurking model risk. Sama's newest release, Sama Automate, is already cutting annotation time by 40 percent while keeping quality above SLAs, and Duncan says they're “aiming for a 10× improvement by 2025.” (aiuserconference.com, sama.com)If you want the inside track on AI ROI, ethical guardrails, and why A's hire A's (but B's hire C's!), lean in—this one's for you. (And yes, we do get to elephant butts.)Timestamped roadmap00:46 Meet Duncan Curtis03:51 The Duncan Brand05:52 Making Time for Yourself08:47 Autonomous Cars — 9× Safer12:21 Favorite Jobs13:24 Inside Sama14:39 Data & LLM Training16:04 De-Risking Models19:08 Ethical AI22:43 Stopping Hallucinations27:18 Data Labeling Deep-Dive31:56 Production-Ready GenAI33:44 AGI Horizons35:34 What Makes Sama Different36:31 Calculating AI ROI38:50 State of the LLMs44:48 Elephant Butts & Closing ThoughtsQuick linksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-curtis/Sama: https://www.sama.com/Latest blog: “Sama Introduces New Data Automation Platform” (sama.com)Hear more: Duncan on “Human Guardrails in Generative AI” (DataCamp podcast) (datacamp.com)Hashtags#MakingDataSimple #AIProduct #GenAI #DataLabeling #EthicalAI #AIROI #AutonomousVehicles #PodcastWant to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Send us a textFrom Elephant Butts to Ethical AI — Duncan Curtis on De-Risking GenAI at SamaEpisode intro Duncan Curtis, SVP for GenAI & AI Product + Technology at Sama, has shipped everything from autonomous-vehicle platforms at Zoox to game-changing data products at Google. Today he leads a 160-person team that's reinventing how training data is curated, labeled, and audited so enterprises can ship production-ready GenAI—without the lurking model risk. Sama's newest release, Sama Automate, is already cutting annotation time by 40 percent while keeping quality above SLAs, and Duncan says they're “aiming for a 10× improvement by 2025.” (aiuserconference.com, sama.com)If you want the inside track on AI ROI, ethical guardrails, and why A's hire A's (but B's hire C's!), lean in—this one's for you. (And yes, we do get to elephant butts.)Timestamped roadmap00:46 Meet Duncan Curtis03:51 The Duncan Brand05:52 Making Time for Yourself08:47 Autonomous Cars — 9× Safer12:21 Favorite Jobs13:24 Inside Sama14:39 Data & LLM Training16:04 De-Risking Models19:08 Ethical AI22:43 Stopping Hallucinations27:18 Data Labeling Deep-Dive31:56 Production-Ready GenAI33:44 AGI Horizons35:34 What Makes Sama Different36:31 Calculating AI ROI38:50 State of the LLMs44:48 Elephant Butts & Closing ThoughtsQuick linksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/duncan-curtis/Sama: https://www.sama.com/Latest blog: “Sama Introduces New Data Automation Platform” (sama.com)Hear more: Duncan on “Human Guardrails in Generative AI” (DataCamp podcast) (datacamp.com)Hashtags#MakingDataSimple #AIProduct #GenAI #DataLabeling #EthicalAI #AIROI #AutonomousVehicles #PodcastWant to be featured as a guest on Making Data Simple? Reach out to us at almartintalksdata@gmail.com and tell us why you should be next. The Making Data Simple Podcast is hosted by Al Martin, WW VP Technical Sales, IBM, where we explore trending technologies, business innovation, and leadership ... while keeping it simple & fun.

Zach Rash, Co-Founder & CEO, Coco Robotics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the growing autonomous delivery market and how Coco is scaling operations to meet demand. Coco Robotics has built and deployed thousands of cost-efficient, urban-optimized delivery robots designed for high-throughput in dense cities like Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, and Helsinki. From rising consumer demand and tipping fatigue to tightening labor regulations, market conditions are accelerating the need for scalable, autonomous delivery solutions. As the conversation evolves, Zach shares insights into Coco Robotics hybrid autonomy approach, the economics of remote supervision, and the company's growing partnership with OpenAI to build next-gen driving models.Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of Robotic Delivery Market04:29 Advertising 09:04 Form Factors11:28 Delivery Logistics 14:01 Weather Extremes16:32 Packaging 21:17 Merchant Partners 24:01 Robot Operations 31:22 OpenAI Partnership 35:26 End-to-End Model38:27 Manufactoring Robots 41:12 Deploying Delivery Robots into Markets 47:41 Future of Coco Robotics Recorded on Monday, June 9, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's return to the Big Apple, a revealing new Waymo rider survey, political grandstanding in Texas aimed at delaying Tesla's robotaxi launch, and the emergence of potential new players in autonomous driving sector, Meta and OpenAI.Waymo announced plans to resume testing in New York City this summer, the first time operating in the city since 2021. While the move signals growing confidence in their technology, regulatory hurdles remain, as current New York state law prohibits fully driverless operations until at least 2026 when a new law could come into effect.While Waymo is actively focusing on scaling operations and expanding into New York, a recent rider survey offers rare insight into the company's future ambitions. Questions about luxury positioning, loyalty rewards, ride reservations, and premium services suggesting that Waymo is exploring a strategy that moves beyond their tenuous limited partnership Uber, and towards a fully integrated premium mobility platform.Meanwhile, a group of Democratic lawmakers in Texas sent a letter to Tesla urging the company to delay its planned driver-out robotaxi launch until new State autonomous vehicles laws take effect in September. Based on social media reports, Tesla is not waiting and they will be launching Robotaxi in the coming days.Then there is the growing ambitions of both Meta and OpenAI. Will they be the next companies to potentially enter the autonomous driving sector?Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo Eyes NYC Expansion3:05 Waymo Loves New York as They Leave Uber Behind4:15 Waymo's Regulatory Path Forward in New York7:47 Waymo's LA & Bay Area Expansions9:06 Waymo Fleet Size10:54 What is Behind Waymo's Lack of Highway Service?13:03 Is Waymo Getting Closer to Unlocking SFO?14:23 Waymo Rider Survey34:35 Texas State Representatives Tesla Letter38:53 Zoox40:13 Kodiak/Roush Partnership44:11 Does Meta and OpenAI Have Autonomous Driving Ambitions?48:51 Applied Intuition50:39 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, June 19, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Waymo will test its autonomous cars in New York again, Google's AI-powered Search Live feature is here to further cannibalize the internet, and Adobe Project Indigo is a new photo app from former Pixel camera engineers. It's Thursday June 19th and here's a quick look at tech in the news this morning from Engadget. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reid and Frank return from their camping trip with a full tank of opinions and off-color humor. In this episode, they tackle the future of self-driving cars—discussing accessibility, blind drivers, aging populations, Tesla tech, and whether gas-powered cars really are built to last. Of course, they detour into the usual Wicky Wacky territory, including oil change confusion, sketchy service departments, and a string of dirty jokes that are technically family friendly… if your family is a little weird.From serious talk about AI and autonomy to punchlines about school buses and guitar teachers, this ride has it all.subscribe for exclusive content or donateContact Us:Frank: contempconserv@gmail.comReid: contempconserv2@gmail.comFollow Us on Twitter/ X @contempconservFollow Us on Truth Social @contempconservOur Links:ContemporaryConservative.netContemporary Conservative Podcast ChannelContemporary Conservative Youtube ChannelSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/contemporary-conservative-audio/exclusive-content

Kaity Fischer, Vice President, Commercial and Operations, Wayve joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Wayve is scaling their end-to-end AI autonomous driving system globally.Wayve's ability to operate autonomously across multiple countries and on both sides of the road without the need for pre-mapped environments or geo-fences is a significant competitive advantage. By licensing the Wayve Driver to global OEMs, the company is building a scalable solution that adapts to diverse vehicle platforms and sensor configurations, unlocking the path to both consumer-owned and fleet-owned autonomous vehicles. The future is mapless, borderless, and powered by end-to-end AI.Episode Chapters0:00 Wayve / Nissan Deal1:14 Wayve Driver10:30 Fleet Operators 15:57 End-to-End AI Driver19:49 Mapless23:58 Adopting to Different Platforms 28:36 Scaling End-to-End AI31:35 Powered by Wayve34:46 Future of WayveRecorded on Friday, May 16, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the start of Tesla's driver-out operations in Austin, the tenuous relationship between Waymo and Uber, and the UK's pmomentum on autonomous vehicle regulation, while the EU remains at a standstill.Now that Tesla is testing is testing driver-out operations, they are one step closer to launching commercial robotaxi operations in Austin, bringing Elon Musk's long-held vision closer to reality. What does Tesla's impending robotaxi launch mean for Uber, Waymo and the broader robotaxi market? Could this launch impact the relationship between Uber and Waymo? Are they true partners, competitors, or something in between? With a growing supply of vehicles in Austin and new international opportunities emerging, including in the UK, we examine the market signals that could define the next phase of their relationship and how that will impact the autonomy markets.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo Suspends Service in LA3:18 Tesla Goes Driver-Out in Austin5:54 Boring Company 9:27 Tesla's Focus on Safety10:34 Uber & Waymo's Tenuous Relationship 18:06 Uber / Wayve Partnership20:53 Does the Uber / Wayve Partnership Put Pressure on Waymo?22:11 Economics of the Waymo / Uber Partnership 24:00 Dedicated Waymo Uber Tier25:32 Do Autonomous Vehicles Expand the Rideshare Market?31:12 NHTSA Part 555 / Regulatory Update 37:19 Next WeekRecorded on Saturday, June 14, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pete Bigelow, Senior Reporter, Automotive News joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the financial news media's disconnect on autonomy, Uber's doubling down on autonomy and Alphabet's long-term plans for Waymo.Financial TV news networks continue to misinterpret the autonomous vehicle market, often not understanding the dynamics, partnerships and individuals building the future of autonomy. Sometimes these individuals pontifications can lead to misleading headlines that sows a narrative that is false. While some financial TV analysts continue to misinterpret and in some cases downplay the progress, the autonomy economy is rapidly scaling globally and commercial rollouts of both autonomous vehicles and trucks paints a very different picture from what's being broadcast.At the same time, Uber appears to be doubling down on its autonomous vehicle strategy, promoting longtime executive Andrew Macdonald who previously led their autonomy strategy to President and Chief Operating Officer. As Uber positions itself for an autonomous future, Alphabet faces a pivotal decision: Will the company spin out Waymo through an IPO or keep it in-house as part of a broader AI strategy?Episode Chapters0:00 Market Disconnect 4:39 Messaging 15:35 Messaging 22:17 Education and College Debt28:01 Is Uber Doubling Down on Autonomy?32:38 Waymo Advertising 35:01 Waymo IPO38:55 Tele-Operations 40:55 Tesla Robotaxi Launch44:51 Zoox50:59 Would Amazon Ever Sell Zoox?Recorded on Wednesday, June 4, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk unpack the escalating feud between Elon Musk and President Donald J. Trump just days before Tesla's highly anticipated robotaxi launch in Austin.The brewing political tension introduces potential new regulatory and market risks for Tesla, especially given Elon Musk's previous influence in The White House. While the full extent of the fallout remains unclear, what is certain is that this risk must be closely monitored.Meanwhile, as Tesla prepares to launch its robotaxi service in Austin this month, the autonomy IPO market is heating up. This week Plus announced plans to go public via SPAC at a $1.2 billion valuation. Could this signal the beginning of a broader wave of investor interest in autonomous trucking?Episode Chapters0:00 Trump / Elon Feud 4:09 Feud's Impact on Robotaxi8:30 National Autonomous Vehicle Framework 9:41 Big Beautiful Bill 14:13 Viewer Question: What would the fallout be with a Tesla Robotaxi Crash?26:38 Tesla Robotaxi Launch Market Reactions 29:01 Autonomous Vehicles and a European Trade Deal 31:13 Waymo Highway Unlock33:52 Uber's Growing Autonomous Vehicle Ecosystem 35:43 Growing Public Autonomous Trucking Ecosystem40:37 Plus is Going Public44:06 Autonomous Trucking Market45:10 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, June 6, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jim Mullen, Executive Director, Council for Economic Resilience (CFER) joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the far-reaching economic benefits of automation and autonomy and how these technologies benefit every single member of society.Autonomy is good for the economy. From national security and job creation to supply chain resiliency and lower inflation, automation and autonomy are critical pillars of economic resilience. Reflecting on his time in the Trump administration (45), Jim reflects on the early groundwork that the administration took towards developing and implementing a national autonomous vehicle framework.Four years later, with President Trump back in the White House and China aggressively ramping up their automation and autonomy ambitions at the detriment to the United States. The need for a national autonomous vehicle framework that allows autonomy to prosper in the United States is more urgent than ever.Automation and autonomy will not only create high-paying jobs and lower inflation but these technologies will also empower underserved communities, unlock entirely new industries, and ensure that America maintains the strongest, most resilient economy in the world.Episode Chapters0:00 Automation & Autonomy Policies4:45 What if Autonomous Trucks were Rolling During Covid?6:55 Benefits of Automation & Autonomy14:23 National Autonomous Vehicle Framework18:24 Grassroots Community Engagement23:04 The Amazon Effect24:11 Automation & Autonomy's Impact on Society33:48 Public Support of Automation & Autonomy36:37 American Leadership40:16 Key TakeawayRecorded on Thursday, May 29, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla's robotaxi launch in June 12th in Austin, Waymo's relationship with Uber and Senator Lummis' Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act. Tesla's initial robotaxi deployment in Austin will launch with just 10 Model Ys operating within a limited operational design domain (ODD). While modest in scale, investor interest is intensifying as Tesla plans to gradually expand its service area, potentially surpassing Waymo's current coverage in Austin by year-end.Meanwhile, Waymo and Uber face mounting pressure as Tesla enters the market. Speculation continues to grow around Waymo's long-term partnership with Uber, raising questions about whether Waymo will pursue a hybrid strategy with Uber or focus solely on their Waymo One platform.A potential partnership with Toyota could offer Waymo both strategic clarity and political capital, especially as U.S. lawmakers look to advance the Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act of 2025, a bill that could potentially lay the groundwork for a national autonomous framework.Episode Chapters0:00 Tesla Robotaxi Launch6:56 Tesla Model Y Self-Delivery8:16 Tesla Robotaxis on the Highway10:20 New Tesla Robotaxi Markets 12:23 Waymo Announcements 18:05 Waymo / Uber Relationship 27:32 What if Tesla Bundled Robotaxi Rides with a Car Lease?29:17 Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act33:13 Unforced Error of the Week35:07 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, May 30, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car (Simon & Schuster, 2022), Alex Davies tells the enlightening and significant story of the effort to create driverless cars and the intense competition among tech heavyweights such as Google, Uber, and Tesla to move this technology forward. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been one of the most hyped technologies of recent years, but early promises that they would quickly become common place have not borne fruit. Alex Davies set forth the twisted paths of this technology's evolution from its genesis to the current moment. The idea began with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which aimed to create a land-based equivalent to the drone, a vehicle that could operate in war zones without risking human lives. DARPA established “Grand Challenges” that enticed future-oriented thinkers including amateurs and students to help drive the technology from fantasy to reality. Carnegie-Mellon University and other universities played a major role. The technology got the attention of Silicon Valley companies like Google and Uber. Next arriving were the major US automakers, GM and Ford, who initiated their programs of their own to commercialize the technology, and Chinese companies also showed an intense interest. As road testing went forward, however, the challenges became far more apparent. The difficulties of traversing diverse terrains under varying weather conditions without a driver came out to be far more daunting than expected. Progress was made but in no way as fast as the developers of the technology hoped. The early enthusiasm of the key players dissipated as they came to realize that AI-assisted driverless transportation faced formidable barriers. This book provides fabulous insights into the key characters in this story and how they struggled with a technology that was not ready for rush-hour driving It is a fast-paced, exciting account of how autonomous technology emerged, the main players, the conflicts between companies, and state of the technology today. The book provides the reader with a genuine feel for how real happens. The writing is fantastic because of the emphasis on that details that come from the many conversations that Davies had with people at the center of the story. Hosted by Alfred Marcus, Edson Spencer Professor of Strategy and Technology University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Chuck Price, President, AI Kinetics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the current state of autonomous trucking. From the continued speculation that Volvo is shutting down Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS) in North America to PACCAR's deafening silence following Aurora's driver-out launch, the autonomous trucking industry is navigating a period of uncertainty. Meanwhile, Daimler's growing influence and factory-grade chassis are reshaping the competitive landscape, as the prospect of Waymo re-entering the trucking market looms large. If Waymo returns, what happens next? Chuck offers his candid insights into how quickly Waymo could rescale Via, their autonomous trucking division, and what that would mean for the future of the industry, if Waymo re-entered the autonomous trucking market.Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of Autonomous Trucking6:00 Waymo Via11:46 Building an Autonomous Truck22:52 Daimler Truck26:00 Autonomous Trucking Models34:17 Licensing 36:09 Owning & Operating an Autonomous Trucking Fleet40:36 Driver-Out Operations 50:39 Aurora / PACCAR Relationship53:57 Aurora's Path Back to Driver-Out58:44 20271:01:13 Key Takeaways Recorded on Thursday, May 22, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car (Simon & Schuster, 2022), Alex Davies tells the enlightening and significant story of the effort to create driverless cars and the intense competition among tech heavyweights such as Google, Uber, and Tesla to move this technology forward. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been one of the most hyped technologies of recent years, but early promises that they would quickly become common place have not borne fruit. Alex Davies set forth the twisted paths of this technology's evolution from its genesis to the current moment. The idea began with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which aimed to create a land-based equivalent to the drone, a vehicle that could operate in war zones without risking human lives. DARPA established “Grand Challenges” that enticed future-oriented thinkers including amateurs and students to help drive the technology from fantasy to reality. Carnegie-Mellon University and other universities played a major role. The technology got the attention of Silicon Valley companies like Google and Uber. Next arriving were the major US automakers, GM and Ford, who initiated their programs of their own to commercialize the technology, and Chinese companies also showed an intense interest. As road testing went forward, however, the challenges became far more apparent. The difficulties of traversing diverse terrains under varying weather conditions without a driver came out to be far more daunting than expected. Progress was made but in no way as fast as the developers of the technology hoped. The early enthusiasm of the key players dissipated as they came to realize that AI-assisted driverless transportation faced formidable barriers. This book provides fabulous insights into the key characters in this story and how they struggled with a technology that was not ready for rush-hour driving It is a fast-paced, exciting account of how autonomous technology emerged, the main players, the conflicts between companies, and state of the technology today. The book provides the reader with a genuine feel for how real happens. The writing is fantastic because of the emphasis on that details that come from the many conversations that Davies had with people at the center of the story. Hosted by Alfred Marcus, Edson Spencer Professor of Strategy and Technology University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car (Simon & Schuster, 2022), Alex Davies tells the enlightening and significant story of the effort to create driverless cars and the intense competition among tech heavyweights such as Google, Uber, and Tesla to move this technology forward. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been one of the most hyped technologies of recent years, but early promises that they would quickly become common place have not borne fruit. Alex Davies set forth the twisted paths of this technology's evolution from its genesis to the current moment. The idea began with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which aimed to create a land-based equivalent to the drone, a vehicle that could operate in war zones without risking human lives. DARPA established “Grand Challenges” that enticed future-oriented thinkers including amateurs and students to help drive the technology from fantasy to reality. Carnegie-Mellon University and other universities played a major role. The technology got the attention of Silicon Valley companies like Google and Uber. Next arriving were the major US automakers, GM and Ford, who initiated their programs of their own to commercialize the technology, and Chinese companies also showed an intense interest. As road testing went forward, however, the challenges became far more apparent. The difficulties of traversing diverse terrains under varying weather conditions without a driver came out to be far more daunting than expected. Progress was made but in no way as fast as the developers of the technology hoped. The early enthusiasm of the key players dissipated as they came to realize that AI-assisted driverless transportation faced formidable barriers. This book provides fabulous insights into the key characters in this story and how they struggled with a technology that was not ready for rush-hour driving It is a fast-paced, exciting account of how autonomous technology emerged, the main players, the conflicts between companies, and state of the technology today. The book provides the reader with a genuine feel for how real happens. The writing is fantastic because of the emphasis on that details that come from the many conversations that Davies had with people at the center of the story. Hosted by Alfred Marcus, Edson Spencer Professor of Strategy and Technology University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-technology-and-society

In Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car (Simon & Schuster, 2022), Alex Davies tells the enlightening and significant story of the effort to create driverless cars and the intense competition among tech heavyweights such as Google, Uber, and Tesla to move this technology forward. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been one of the most hyped technologies of recent years, but early promises that they would quickly become common place have not borne fruit. Alex Davies set forth the twisted paths of this technology's evolution from its genesis to the current moment. The idea began with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which aimed to create a land-based equivalent to the drone, a vehicle that could operate in war zones without risking human lives. DARPA established “Grand Challenges” that enticed future-oriented thinkers including amateurs and students to help drive the technology from fantasy to reality. Carnegie-Mellon University and other universities played a major role. The technology got the attention of Silicon Valley companies like Google and Uber. Next arriving were the major US automakers, GM and Ford, who initiated their programs of their own to commercialize the technology, and Chinese companies also showed an intense interest. As road testing went forward, however, the challenges became far more apparent. The difficulties of traversing diverse terrains under varying weather conditions without a driver came out to be far more daunting than expected. Progress was made but in no way as fast as the developers of the technology hoped. The early enthusiasm of the key players dissipated as they came to realize that AI-assisted driverless transportation faced formidable barriers. This book provides fabulous insights into the key characters in this story and how they struggled with a technology that was not ready for rush-hour driving It is a fast-paced, exciting account of how autonomous technology emerged, the main players, the conflicts between companies, and state of the technology today. The book provides the reader with a genuine feel for how real happens. The writing is fantastic because of the emphasis on that details that come from the many conversations that Davies had with people at the center of the story. Hosted by Alfred Marcus, Edson Spencer Professor of Strategy and Technology University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car (Simon & Schuster, 2022), Alex Davies tells the enlightening and significant story of the effort to create driverless cars and the intense competition among tech heavyweights such as Google, Uber, and Tesla to move this technology forward. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been one of the most hyped technologies of recent years, but early promises that they would quickly become common place have not borne fruit. Alex Davies set forth the twisted paths of this technology's evolution from its genesis to the current moment. The idea began with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which aimed to create a land-based equivalent to the drone, a vehicle that could operate in war zones without risking human lives. DARPA established “Grand Challenges” that enticed future-oriented thinkers including amateurs and students to help drive the technology from fantasy to reality. Carnegie-Mellon University and other universities played a major role. The technology got the attention of Silicon Valley companies like Google and Uber. Next arriving were the major US automakers, GM and Ford, who initiated their programs of their own to commercialize the technology, and Chinese companies also showed an intense interest. As road testing went forward, however, the challenges became far more apparent. The difficulties of traversing diverse terrains under varying weather conditions without a driver came out to be far more daunting than expected. Progress was made but in no way as fast as the developers of the technology hoped. The early enthusiasm of the key players dissipated as they came to realize that AI-assisted driverless transportation faced formidable barriers. This book provides fabulous insights into the key characters in this story and how they struggled with a technology that was not ready for rush-hour driving It is a fast-paced, exciting account of how autonomous technology emerged, the main players, the conflicts between companies, and state of the technology today. The book provides the reader with a genuine feel for how real happens. The writing is fantastic because of the emphasis on that details that come from the many conversations that Davies had with people at the center of the story. Hosted by Alfred Marcus, Edson Spencer Professor of Strategy and Technology University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/technology

In Driven: The Race to Create the Autonomous Car (Simon & Schuster, 2022), Alex Davies tells the enlightening and significant story of the effort to create driverless cars and the intense competition among tech heavyweights such as Google, Uber, and Tesla to move this technology forward. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been one of the most hyped technologies of recent years, but early promises that they would quickly become common place have not borne fruit. Alex Davies set forth the twisted paths of this technology's evolution from its genesis to the current moment. The idea began with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which aimed to create a land-based equivalent to the drone, a vehicle that could operate in war zones without risking human lives. DARPA established “Grand Challenges” that enticed future-oriented thinkers including amateurs and students to help drive the technology from fantasy to reality. Carnegie-Mellon University and other universities played a major role. The technology got the attention of Silicon Valley companies like Google and Uber. Next arriving were the major US automakers, GM and Ford, who initiated their programs of their own to commercialize the technology, and Chinese companies also showed an intense interest. As road testing went forward, however, the challenges became far more apparent. The difficulties of traversing diverse terrains under varying weather conditions without a driver came out to be far more daunting than expected. Progress was made but in no way as fast as the developers of the technology hoped. The early enthusiasm of the key players dissipated as they came to realize that AI-assisted driverless transportation faced formidable barriers. This book provides fabulous insights into the key characters in this story and how they struggled with a technology that was not ready for rush-hour driving It is a fast-paced, exciting account of how autonomous technology emerged, the main players, the conflicts between companies, and state of the technology today. The book provides the reader with a genuine feel for how real happens. The writing is fantastic because of the emphasis on that details that come from the many conversations that Davies had with people at the center of the story. Hosted by Alfred Marcus, Edson Spencer Professor of Strategy and Technology University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/journalism

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk preview Tesla's upcoming FSD robotaxi launch, Waymo's continued interest in personally-owned autonomous vehicles and Aurora's stumbles. As we approach June, all eyes are on Austin in anticipation of Tesla's highly awaited robotaxi launch. With real-world testing already underway, Tesla is taking a measured yet impactful approach by prioritizing safety.Meanwhile, Waymo has surpassed 10 million paid rides and is signaling a strategic expansion into personally-owned autonomous vehicles. On the freight side of autonomy, the autonomous trucking market is heating up, even as Aurora stumbles. After successfully launching driver-out commercial operations in April, Aurora was forced by its OEM partner, PACCAR to reinstate a safety driver behind the wheel, raising questions about the strength of the partnership and the company's near-term trajectory.Aurora's recent stumbles come just as Waymo is re-evaluating a potential return to the autonomous trucking industry, as investors are closely monitoring how these shifting dynamics could reshape the market.Episode Chapters0:00 Autonomy Markets On The Road1:12 Tesla Model Y3:08 Tesla's Upcoming Robotaxi Launch9:02 Managing Vehicles on the Tesla Network 10:57 Tesla's Competitive Threat to Uber14:35 Waymo: 10 Million Paid Rides and Counting 16:01 Waymo at Google I/O20:33 Waymo's Multi-Deployment Strategy 23:30 Licensing Tesla FSD25:33 Nuro27:45 Aurora Goes Back to Driver-In34:08 Is Waymo Going Back into Trucking?35:21 Is Waymo Feeling Pressure from Tesla?37:31 China40:21 National Autonomous Vehicle Framework 42:07 Unforced Error of The Week / Next WeekRecorded on Friday, May 23, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ali Kashani, Co-Founder & Serve Robotics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how sidewalk delivery robots are transforming the economics and experience of last-mile delivery. Ali shares the origin story of Serve Robotics, which was incubated within Postmates and later spun out of Uber into a publicly traded company. What began as a simple idea, delivering small items with small autonomous robots has grown into a rapidly scaling business operating in cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas. As Serve Robotics continues to expand, the company is evolving into a full-fledged robotics platform with multiple revenue streams spanning advertising, delivery, licensing, and potentially something even bigger in the future.Episode Chapters0:00 Founding of Serve Robotics2:07 Deliveries4:26 Deploying Sidewalk Robots9:53 Deployment Markets15:11 A Robotics Company19:37 Wing Partnership21:20 Restaurant Deliveries & Packaging27:53 Comparing Gen 2 to Gen 3 Robots29:59 Testing Before Deploying32:37 New Markets33:49 Advertising Business37:33 Growing Delivery Volume39:37 The Evolution of Sidewalk Robots42:07 Key TakeawaysRecorded on Wednesday, May 14, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's recall, Tesla's most recent NHTSA letter and Sterling Anderson's surprise move to join GM as EVP & Chief Product Officer.For the first time ever, Waymo had a fleet-wide recall after a series of minor collisions involving stationary objects, a recall that was fixed with a simple over-the-air update. As Waymo updated their vehicles, Tesla was once again under regulatory scrutiny, this time about their upcoming FSD Unsupervised launch in Austin.Could NHTSA's request for more information, give Elon Musk and Tesla an off-ramp as they work to further develop FSD prior to deploying fully autonomous robotaxis. In an unexpected twist, former Aurora co-founder Sterling Anderson joined GM as EVP & Chief Product Officer. His move to GM signals a potential major strategic shift for GM, especially in the wake of its decision to shutdown Cruise.With Mr. Anderson's background in autonomy, software-defined vehicles, and hardware integration from his time at Tesla and Aurora, the hire suggests GM may be quietly rebuilding its autonomy strategy. Whether this positions him as a future CEO candidate or simply as the architect of GM's next-generation vehicle roadmap, it's a development that we will be following on Autonomy Markets.Episode Chapters0:00 Sterling Anderson Joins GM3:34 The Impact of Sterling's Departure on Aurora5:53 Uber's Autonomy Investments7:16 Aurora, a Company in Crisis13:04 Kodiak15:30 Bot Auto17:45 Wayve / Uber Partnership21:58 WeRide's Hong Kong IPO22:46 Waymo's Lingering Zeekr Problem25:27 Waymo's NHTSA Recall27:18 Waymo Road Trips28:47 Is Waymo Expanding Too Quickly?30:10 Could NHTSA Delay Tesla's June Robotaxi Launch?33:38 Market Perception of Tesla FSD36:29 Unforced Error of The Week38:40 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, May 15, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief, Bloomberg joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Waymo's growing competitive advantage in the market, Uber's strategy and the many challenges facing Tesla.Waymo continues to strengthen its market share in the robotaxi sector, recently announcing a strategic partnership with Magna to significantly expand autonomous vehicle manufacturing capabilities. While Uber leverages its robust marketplace platform to drive substantial demand for autonomous rides through key partnerships, Waymo has diversified manufacturing to meet demand.Tesla, despite its ambitions with Full Self-Driving (FSD), faces ongoing technical challenges, including difficulties accurately identifying pedestrians, animals, and school zones, underscore the complexity in deploying fully autonomous vehicles at scale.Simultaneously, the autonomous vehicle industry's competitive landscape remains fluid, as traditional automakers struggle with limited autonomy programs and unclear strategies. With renewed investor interest, fresh funding rounds, and upcoming commercial deployments, the autonomous mobility market is entering a pivotal phase. Autonomy companies must now navigate strategic decisions concerning scale, partnerships, and profitability.Episode Chapters0:00 Scaling Waymo's Operations3:58 Tesla FSD5:17 Tesla's Upcoming Austin Robotaxi Launch7:47 Did GM Pull the Plus on Cruise Too Early?11:33 GM's Continued Investments in EVs14:48 Software16:35 Licensing Autonomy & OEM Partnerships20:41 Foxconn Contract Manufacturing AVs25:53 Uber's Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Strategy28:50 Uber / Waymo Relationship34:33 Zoox35:31 Alphabet's Commitment to Waymo37:28 Merge Waymo One into Uber?39:12 Car Rental Companies40:32 Autonomy as a Business44:52 Key TakeawaysRecorded on Thursday, May 8, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the abrupt resignation of Aurora Co-Founder Sterling Anderson, why Waymo needs more vehicles and the continued fragmentation of the robotaxi market. Mr. Anderson's sudden departure sent shockwaves through the industry, raising critical questions about his next move and the potential impact on Aurora's partnership with Volvo, along with Uber's reaction. Yet, curiously, none of these questions were raised by analysts on the company's earnings call, leaving investors and industry insiders to speculate.Meanwhile, Waymo appears to be scaling faster than its fleet can support. With 1,500 vehicles on the road today and another 2,000 expected by next year, the company has yet to activate highway operations, likely due to the increased wait times it would cause in already constrained markets.As Uber doubles down on global autonomous vehicle partnerships, Waymo appears to have cooled on Lyft, potently leaving them at a competitive disadvantage. As Uber aggressively ramps up its global autonomous vehicle partnerships, Waymo appears to have cooled on Lyft, potentially putting Lyft at a growing competitive disadvantage in the evolving autonomy economy.Episode Chapters0:00 On The Road2:03 Sterling Anderson Resigns from Aurora7:55 Autonomous Trucking Revenue Metrics of Success9:39 Waymo's New Factory12:38 How Many Cars Does Waymo Need in a Market?15:41 Autonomy Markets On The Road in D.C.20:30 Growth of Robotaxis on Uber & Lyft25:48 Is Uber Accelerating the Growth of Chineses AVs in Europe?30:13 What's Going on at Zoox?34:25 Rivian's Autonomy Ambitions37:42 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, May 9, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Earl Adams Jr., Vice President for Policy and Regulatory Affairs, Plus joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how autonomous trucking is poised to transform local communities, economically, socially, and operationally. In Texas, Plus is actively working to deploy fully autonomous trucks in partnership with International by 2027. As part of the preparation for launch, Earl is meeting with community leaders, elected officials and community colleges in an effort to build transparency and trust with the local communities. When autonomous trucks are deployed, they will make our roads safer and they will have a positive economic benefit on society. The economic benefits of autonomous trucking will be felt in local communities as they will strengthening local businesses through increased spending in local communities.Autonomous trucking isn't just about moving freight, it's about creating opportunity without debt, while revitalizing communities, one route at a time.Episode Chapters0:00 Autonomous Trucking Policy4:20 Economic Impact of Autonomous Trucking5:58 Public Trust10:51 Community Colleges12:28 Impact on Society17:29 California DMV Autonomous Trucking Rulemaking 22:48 Hours of Service 27:57 Building & Maintaining Trust35:21 Autonomous Trucking Industry 40:35 Key Takeaways Recorded on Wednesday, April 30, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's potential new partnership with Toyota, the launch of Aurora's driver-out commercial operations and Uber's continued effort to challenge the autonomy duopoly. On Tuesday, Waymo announced a potential partnership with Toyota to develop personally-owned autonomous vehicles, confirming a business pivot in an effort to counter Tesla's upcoming robotaxi launch in Austin. Wile Waymo signals a shift in strategy, Aurora launched fully autonomous commercial operations in partnership with Uber Freight.As Uber became Aurora's first commercial customer, the rideshare side of their business continued to double-down on autonomy, as they further fragmented the autonomy market when they announced a strategic partnership with May Mobility to deploy AVs on the platform.Recorded on Thursday, April 24, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sergey Litvinenko, Co-Founder & CEO, Koop joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the emergence of autonomous vehicle fleets and why the fleet model is becoming the model for scaling autonomous vehicles globally. In the autonomous vehicle market there are new emerging business models for owning and operating the fleets from leasing to REIT-like structures to vertically integrated fleet mangers with each model posing it's own unique challenges. From insurance requirements to financing to operational complexities, making entering the sector difficult without the right partners. Yet despite these complexities, there are vast opportunities.Episode Chapters0:00 Autonomous Vehicle Fleets5:51 Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Franchises8:30 Individual Fleet Owners 14:42 Personally-Owned Autonomous Vehicles 18:41 Autonomous Driving Developers / OEM Partnerships 22:46 Insuring Autonomous Vehicle Fleets26:51 Bundling Autonomous Vehicle Insurance with Fleet Management 31:33 Rental Car Companies33:25 Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Model Challenges36:40 Future of Autonomous Vehicle FleetsRecorded on Friday, April 25, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's potential pivot away from HD maps, their 250,000 fully autonomous rides per week milestone, Tesla's pending robotaxi launch and Aurora's long-promised driver-out launch.In a post announcing the milestone on X, Waymo used the term "generalizable Waymo Driver”, potentially hinting that the company may move away from HD maps. Could Waymo be moving towards an end-to-end approach in similar fashion to Tesla?Tesla that is actively preparing to launch their robotaxis in Austin this June. Will they launch in June, or will they delay until July as Elon Musk hinted at on Tesla's Q1 2025 earnings call. When Tesla launches their robotaxi network, the market will change and the question becomes how does Waymo react?For the time being, all eyes are on Aurora, with just days left in April to meet their driver-out launch deadline, anxiety is building as the clock is ticking. The pressure is on to launch fully-autonomous, driver-out operations.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo 250k Paid Rides a Week1:04 Generalizable Waymo Driver3:12 Highways Coming Soon for Waymo?4:33 Personally-Owned Waymo Vehicles?5:55 Personally-Owned Waymos Impact on Uber & Lyft9:39 Tesla Robotaxi Launch16:59 Tesla vs Waymo Robotaxi Costs18:07 Testing FSD Supervised in Europe19:02 Wayve Expands to Japan22:48 Uber / VW Robotaxi Partnership26:29 Toyota27:46 U.S. DOT Automated Vehicle Framework30:58 Aurora Driver-Out CountdownRecorded on Thursday, April 24, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christian John, President, TIER IV North America joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how TIER IV is scaling open-source autonomous driving platform software globally. Tier IV is using the foundational elements of Autoware, an open-source autonomous driving software stack to build scalable, modular reference platforms for everything from robotaxis to autonomous buses and industrial logistics. This open platform approach allows multiple companies to collaborate, innovate, and distribute development costs across the ecosystem, similar to Meta's open-source LLama model for AI.In Japan, TIER IV is experiencing particular success with autonomous buses in Japan, where they've secured approximately 50% of municipal contracts as part of Japan's Mobility DX initiative addressing the country's aging population and driver shortage.As autonomy scales globally, open-source autonomous driving software could play a vital role. It's a role that TIER IV wants to play in the global autonomy market.Episode Chapters0:00 TIER IV Platform6:27 Open-Source Software8:25 Autoware9:52 Building on the TIER IV Platform11:52 Japanese Autonomy Market17:32 Nippon Steel21:46 Vehicle Platforms 23:51 Developing Public Trust26:31 Robotaxis31:58 Scaling in North America 36:00 Future of TIER IVRecorded on Friday, April 18, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Kodiak starting the process to become a publicly traded company, the anxiety leading up to Aurora's driver-out commercial launch and Lyft's expansion into Europe through the acquisition of FREENOW.Kodiak has officially filed to go public in a $2.5 billion SPAC deal, backed by a $100 million PIPE and a 100-truck order from Atlas Energy that signals strong market confidence. Aurora's long-anticipated driver-out commercial launch is drawing closer, with industry watchers counting the days and parsing every signal for an indication of launch. On the platform side of autonomy, Lyft is expanding to the UK and Europe through a $197 million acquisition of FREENOW. Now that Lyft has European operations, there is a path for the company to scale robotaxis on two continents.It appears that Lyft is gearing up to compete with Uber more aggressively, while in the U.S., Waymo continues to grow their Waymo One service which overtime will capture marketshare from both Uber and Lyft. Meanwhile, Walt headed out to LA to get an on the ground understanding of how Waymo is scaling in the City of Angles and how Angelenos are currently thinking about autonomous vehicles. Episode Chapters0:00 Walt's LA Adventure2:08 Waymos in LA9:40 Kodiak Files to Go Public17:10 HD Maps20:41 Aurora's Driver-Out Moment24:22 Lyft Acquires FREENOW, Expands to Europe30:00 Nuro Expands to Japan31:10 Sidewalk Delivery Bots35:10 Tesla FSD38:27 Waymo's Upcoming Atlanta Launch on Uber41:04 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, April 17, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim interviews Nick Palumbo and Brian West at the Parade. Then Alex Poirot talks about his time working in Congress as a staffer and at the Federal DOT. Now he is with RideBeep.com

Jim Liefer, CEO, Ambi Robotics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how physical AI is transforming warehouse automation and redefining global supply chain efficiency. Ambi Robotics systems have logged over 200,000 hours of real-world autonomous operations, equivalent to 22 years of experience. As the foundation models powering these systems continue to ingest more data, their performance and accuracy will only improve with time.While scaling its autonomous systems, Ambi Robotics remains focused on human-robot collaboration rather than full automation. The company is actively working to transform physically demanding warehouse roles into higher-paying robot operator positions that require minimal training.Despite all of the current economic uncertainties, large logistics companies are continuing to invest in automation, recognizing it as an essential tool for managing the ever-increasing volume of goods moving through global supply chains.Episode Chapters0:00 Future of Robotics 1:56 Training Data3:50 AmbiSort6:42 Unlocking Efficiencies7:58 Deploying an Ambi System10:06 Customer Data13:13 Fully Automated Warehouses and Jobs 18:33 Humans in the Loop22:46 Packaging 25:50 Warehouse Trends27:58 Investing in Automation & Autonomy29:54 Business of Ambi Robotics34:48 Future of Ambi RoboticsRecorded on Monday, April 7, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Wayve's OEM partnership with Nissan, Nuro's Series E capital raise and why the Uber/Waymo partnership in Austin does not guarantee future deployments. Wayve is going to power Nissan's next-generation ProPILOT technology starting in fiscal year 2027. The deal with Nissan validates Wayve's business model of licensing and raises the question of is Nuro next in line to secure a major OEM partnership? As the autonomy economy evolves, licensing autonomous driving systems is going to accelerate fragmentation, potentially benefitting both Uber and Lyft. In Austin, Waymo is available exclusively through Uber. While early signs point to success, it's far from guaranteed that the partnership will scale beyond Austin and Atlanta, especially as Waymo continues to expand on it's own with Waymo One.Episode Chapters0:00 Wayve Partners with Nissan 3:12 Autonomous Driving OEM Partnerships 5:24 Nuro Series E7:12 Autonomous Driving Partnerships Ecosystem 13:01 Could Tesla xAI Swap Assets?17:19 Zoox Expands Testing to LA18:27 Will Zoox Launch Commercial Service in 2025?20:25 Waymo Needs More OEM Partnerships 23:40 U.S. / China Policy 28:00 Europe / China Policy 31:19 Uber / Waymo Austin Data 36:49 Unforced Error of The Week38:52 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, April 11, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pete Bigelow, Senior Reporter, Automotive News joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Detroit is handing tariffs, the slow adoption of electric vehicles and consumers increasing interest in autonomous vehicles. Detroit's automakers are grappling with a future that is no longer electric, it's autonomous. After racing full steam ahead towards electric vehicles, the momentum has stalled as consumers are opting for hybrids. Even as consumers opt for hybrids, they are increasingly interested in autonomy and the emergence of personally-owned autonomous vehicles. However, the question still remains whether traditional OEMs have the will or the ability to develop in-house and commercialize an autonomous driving system that is reelable and scaleable. If they can not develop it in-house, they will have to license the technology with the risk of becoming a contract manufacturer for the autonomy industry. Episode Chapters0:00 The Mood in Detroit4:17 Tariffs / Exporting Detroit 6:54 Electrification9:30 Will Economic Uncertainty Lead to the Rise of Personally-Owned Autonomous Vehicles?15:03 Jeep, an Autonomy Brand17:26 GM & Ford's Fully Autonomous Aspirations 19:55 Rising Road Fatalities 26:59 Tesla Will Drive Me Home Trend28:49 No Steering Wheel, No Pedals30:58 Waymo Hyundai Robotaxis are Made in America 31:45 Factories of The Future35:19 Scaling Waymo40:56 Tesla's June Robotaxi Launch43:20 Aurora Driver-Out in Texas48:51 What To Look for in The Markets Recorded on Monday, April 7, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's unforced error with the Zeekr RT robotaxi, Uber's future with autonomous vehicles and the winners and losers from the latest round of tariffs. Waymo's Zeekr RT robotaxi has seen its price double due to a 100% tariff on Chinese-made vehicles, igniting a debate over whether Waymo made an unforced error with their Zeekr partnership. Could tariffs either accelerate a new OEM partnership for Waymo or see them abandon it all together?Meanwhile, Uber's autonomy ambitions are accelerating and gaining momentum globally. This week, Uber announced a partnership with WeRide and the Dubai Road and Transport Authority to deploy robotaxis in Dubai. Could Uber's largest autonomy market end up being outside the U.S.? Grayson and Walter debate the issue, while exploring the implications that tariffs will have on the autonomy ecosystem.Episode Chapters0:00 Tariffs 1:05 Impact of Tariffs on Waymo6:26 Does Waymo Need to Slim Down?9:10 Tesla FSD Unsupervised Launch11:41 Tariffs and The Trucking Industry 13:57 May Mobility 14:27 LiDAR Market18:25 Energy22:46 Uber's Global Ambitions 25:15 Scaling Waymo31:00 Uber App37:23 Waymo Messaging 40:17 Zoox41:23 Lyft46:37 Personally-Owned Autonomous Vehicles 49:58 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, April 3, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jeremy Bird, EVP, Driver Experience, Lyft joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Lyft's approach to autonomous vehicles and why Lyft is embracing a hybrid network strategy. As part of their autonomous vehicle strategy, Lyft is developing partnerships with autonomous vehicle developers and vehicle manufacturers that will enable them to put their AVs on the Lyft network. Lyft envisions a hybrid network, one where autonomous vehicle fleets, individually owned autonomous vehicle, and human drivers are all utilizing the and profiting from the Lyft network. Episode Chapters0:00 Lyft's Current Thinking on Autonomy 1:42 ETAs2:46 Airports6:43 Personally-Owned Autonomous Vehicles9:31 Autonomous Vehicle Fleets11:16 Lyft Ready Autonomous Vehicles12:43 Hybrid Network Operations 18:12 May Mobility 23:31 Waymo24:32 J.P. Morgan Partnership 26:08 Lyft AV Tier27:18 Motoring Down the AV Superhighway 30:17 Tesla31:31 Insurance 35:53 Lyft Culture39:11 Future of LyftRecorded on Wednesday, March 5, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss their road trip to Forward Forth Worth, Waymo's expansion to Washington, D.C. and the emerging opportunity in autonomous trucking.Texas is thriving capital of autonomous trucking with Aurora, Bot Auto, Kodiak, Torc and Waabi all having a presence in the state. Now autonomous vehicle companies are flocking to the state with Avride, May Mobility, Waymo and Zoox all having a presence in the state.While Texas emerges as the capital of autonomy, Waymo continues to solidify its lead as the world leader in robotaxis. With their lead in tact and the demand for their service growing, Waymo announced this week that they are expanding service to Washington, D.C. in 2026. As both Waymo continues to grow and expand, the economic impact of autonomy is only just beginning to be felt.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo Subreddit01:17 Forward Fort Worth03:10 Insurance06:55 Investing in Autonomous Trucking11:56 May Mobility Arlington Deployment13:56 Autonomy Markets on the Road17:28 Waymo Announces Service is Coming to D.C. in 202621:41 Waymo / Uber Relationship26:50 Waymo Testing Zeekr Robotaxis on I-85 in Atlanta27:44 Waymo, The World Leader in Robotaxis30:46 London31:56 New York33:34 Autonomy Markets Confessions34:34 Waymo Scheduled Rides38:05 Waymo Pricing41:08 Tesla's June Robotaxi Launch48:03 Next WeekRecorded on Tuesday, March 25, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nat Beuse, Chief Safety Officer, Aurora joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the development of Aurora's Safety Case Framework and how the company is preparing to safely launch fully autonomous commercial trucks.Aurora's rigorous safety case framework is built around trust, transparency and continuous improvement. From fostering a deeply ingrained safety culture to closely collaborating with OEM partners Volvo and PACCAR, as well as hardware partner Continental, Aurora is focused on deploying commercial autonomous trucks that operate safely and reliably without human intervention.Episode Chapters0:00 NHTSA Experience 2:38 Roadway Safety8:03 Aurora's Culture of Safety21:20 Developing the Safety Case Framework25:22 Closing the Safety Case26:41 Preparing for Commercial Launch 31:21 Driver-Out Operations39:38 OEM Partners42:19 Redundancy43:50 Remote Monitoring 49:37 Launch Day53:38 Key TakeawayRecorded on Friday, March 14, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's mapping expansion to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), their continued Bay Area expansion and Tesla's ambitious plans for launching a FSD Unsupervised. As Waymo begins mapping SFO, there are still hurdles that the company has to overcome before offering commercial service, as their current permit prohibits transporting commercial goods or passengers. When Waymo applies for their ground transportation operating permit, The Teamsters are expected to oppose Waymo's permit application it in an effort to block the service. Despite this potential challenge, we expect commercial operations at the airport to begin by this summer, as there is a clear economic benefit to San Francisco's economy. Down at Giga in Austin, Elon Musk held an all-hands meeting where he outlined his bold plans for FSD Unsupervised and the company's upcoming robotaxi service. At some point, Tesla will “crack” full self-driving and when they do, Waymo will have their first true competitor.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo Begins Mapping SFO9:14 Waymo Airport Predictions (SFO, SJC, LAX)11:13 Waymo Nashville Prediction13:16 Waymo / Hyundai Prediction14:38 Waymo's Continued Bay Area Expansion 19:13 Uber, Lyft and the Growth of Waymo21:04 Waymo Zeekr Robotaxis26:43 Waymo on Uber in Austin30:59 Could Waymo be Expanding to the UK?34:16 Tesla Unsupervised 35:43 Tesla All-Hands Meeting37:36 Tesla CPUC Permit38:47 NVIDIA GTC42:04 Truck OEMs46:57 Unforced Error of The Week48:51 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, March 21, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what's coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Adrienne Gildea, Deputy Executive Director, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how CVSA developed enhanced inspections and the positive impact that they will have on roadway safety. CVSA is preparing for autonomous trucks to scale by working with the autonomous trucking industry, law enforcement and various stakeholders to develop enhanced inspections. Enhanced inspections will increase safety on the roadways as autonomous trucks will undergo rigorous “zero defect” inspections before being dispatched (or every 24 hours) and when they are on the road, the trucks will be able to communicate their inspection status to law enforcement officials in real-time.Episode Chapters0:00 Traditional Truck Inspections 3:32 Weigh Stations5:31 Enhanced Inspections for Autonomous Trucks11:14 Enhanced Inspections Training Program13:20 Autonomous Trucking Regulations 14:58 Law Enforcement 18:37 Evolution of Enhanced Inspections21:15 CVSA's Warm Embrace of Autonomous Trucks24:03 Public Trust26:22 Autonomous Trucks Compliment Traditional Trucks28:21 Human Trafficking 29:51 Truck Parking Shortage33:33 Preparing for Change35:19 Future of Autonomous Trucking--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's Bay Area expansion and what it means for the great highway and airport unlocks, our visit to May Mobility in Ann Arbor and Amazon's struggles with Zoox. Waymo has expanded its service area in the Bay Area by 50%, adding 27 square miles in Silicon Valley, for residents only at this time. Is this restriction due to a vehicle shortage? It very well could be, as Waymo continues to scale at a rapid pace in multiple markets. Is airport pick-up and drop-off at San Francisco International Airport (SFO) next? With Waymo's growing service area in the Bay Area, it seems to only be a matter of time. Demand for Waymo at SFO is there as in December 2024, there were approximately 13,366 searches for “SFO” on the Waymo app, and 718 people installed the app while physically at the airport.Once Waymo is allowed to operate at SFO, the economic impact is projected to be nearly $100 million. The positive economic impact is immense and California's economy needs Waymo to succeed. When Waymo succeeds, California's economy succeeds.Episode Chapters0:00 Autonomy Markets Visits May Mobility7:28 Waymo's Silicon Valley Expansion11:25 Waymo's Fleet Challenges14:52 Waymo's Eventual Expansion to SFO24:20 Waymo LAX Service29:20 Wayve‘s ChatGPT Moment34:41 What Does Amazon do with Zoox?37:22 Could Autonomy Reaccelerate Growth at Apple?40:36 Did Uber Make a Mistake Selling ATG?43:33 Unforced Error of The Week44:33 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, March 14, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jill and Tom open the show covering a few news stories. First, Toyota is claiming it will have a solid-state EV battery in a production vehicle around 2030. Could be big news in regard to EV price and range. Listen in for details. The hosts went on to discuss Mercedes-Benz's new turquoise marker- and tail lights. Why are they doing this? Listen in. Still in the first segment, Jill shared details of a story she wrote about how the similar-size Toyota 4Runner and Land Cruiser crossovers differ. Clue: One is more family friendly than the other. In the second segment, Jill and Tom welcome Sam Fiorani of AutoForecast Solutions to the show. Sam walked the hosts through the headwinds faced by the auto industry as a result of the current administration's tariff plans. Sam also discussed Tesla's plant capacity situation, which may be most acute in Europe, where the company recently opened a new manufacturing facility. In the last segment, Jill is tormented by Tom's “Pontiac or Oldsmobile?” quiz, and the hosts talk a little about Polestar, a new EV brand with Volvo roots. 

In this episode, Craig Jeffery shares insights from his experience with driverless cars and connects it to the use of AI/ML in treasury. He highlights three key essentials for implementing AI/ML tools in financial decision-making. How can these new technologies boost efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making in treasury operations, and why is it crucial to understand and guide these tools? Listen in to learn more.

Tesla risks being caught up in the China-US trade war, while US officials head to Saudi Arabia to start peace talks over Ukraine. Indonesia reaches “Opec status” as it dominates the global nickel trade. Plus, the US-India deal signals a bonanza for US gas imports. Mentioned in this podcast:Tesla braces for delay to China licence as Trump trade tensions mount The ‘Opec' of nickel: Indonesia's control of a critical metal European countries clash over sending troops to UkraineSubscription promo: ft.com/briefingsaleThis episode of the FT News Briefing was produced by Josh Gabert-Doyon, Fiona Symon, Lulu Smyth, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian, and Marc Filippino. Additional help from Breen Turner, Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Joseph Salcedo. Topher Forhecz is the FT's executive producer. The FT's global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show's theme song is by Metaphor Music. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.