Podcasts about autonomous trucks

Qasar Younis, CEO and Peter Ludwig, CTO, Co-Founders of Applied Intuition joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss why Applied Intuition continues to be one of the most interesting companies in autonomy.The conversation explores Applied Intuition's growing portfolio of partnerships, including a major deal with Komatsu and the launch of their new SDS (self-driving system for automotive). Qasar and Peter share how first-principles thinking, diversification across verticals, and a relentless focus on engineering have allowed the company to expand while continually de-risking the business.As OEMs weigh the long-running build-versus-buy debate around autonomous driving systems, China's automakers are rapidly advancing their capabilities with a strong emphasis on in-vehicle software. From Tesla's software-driven model to legacy OEMs navigating the transition to software-defined vehicles, this episode of The Road to Autonomy highlights how Applied Intuition's Vehicle OS and SDS offerings are designed to meet automakers where they are today, while positioning them for what's next.In a future where software increasingly defines brand and customer experience, Applied Intuition is building the infrastructure that will power both vehicles and autonomy. Episode Chapters0:00 What's Next for Applied Intuition? 1:44 Self-Driving for Automotive (SDS)7:15 Managing Risks12:45 Komatsu Partnership16:32 Breakthrough Technology 21:38 Vehicle OS23:48 OpenAI Partnership25:05 L2/L2+ Demand32:42 Licensing Autonomous Driving Systems35:18 Maintaining SDS42:50 Cadillac44:09 Does Software Defines a Brand? 46:10 Planning for Automotive Software 49:29 What's NextRecorded on Friday, September 5, 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 the rapidly shifting landscape of AI inside of vehicles, exploring how xAI's Grok and Google's Gemini are shaping the future of in-vehicle experiences.Grayson and Walt debate whether these AI systems will remain as assistants limited to Q&A or evolve into agentic copilots capable of controlling everything from “car wash mode” to trip planning and operating the traditional in-cabin functions of a vehicle. They draw parallels to historical tech battles, from Apple CarPlay's removal by GM to the politics within Alphabet that may slow Gemini's rollout inside Waymo vehicles. The discussion underscores how the integration of AI into vehicles could become one of the most valuable battlegrounds in autonomy. Beyond AI integration, the conversation expands into the latest market moves across autonomy. Tesla's upcoming expansion to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and California airports takes center stage, alongside SpaceX's $19 billion spectrum acquisition and its implications for connectivity in robotaxis.Episode Chapters0:00 Qualcomm on The Road to Autonomy2:51 Grok vs Gemini: Who Will Own the Future of AI In-Vehicle?12:33 Tensor Auto14:40 Tesla's Planned Robotaxi Expansions20:19 SpaceX / EchoStar Spectrum Deal 23:48 Zoox Las Vegas Launch27:17 May Mobility's Launch in Atlanta on Lyft31:41 Do May Mobility Cars go to Lyft or Uber First?34:12 Waymo's Emerging Hyundai Risk 36:30 Kodiak Delivers First Factory Upfitted Autonomous Truck38:35 Autonomous Trucking Industry40:43 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, September 12, 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 record-breaking global energy demand and Texas's energy dominance are reshaping markets amid the AI revolution and shifting geopolitical dynamics. With the Energy Information Administration (EIA) projecting consecutive oil demand records of 103.7 million barrels per day in 2025 and 104.9 million barrels per day in 2026, Texas has emerged as the undisputed energy powerhouse, now producing 42% of US oil and 30% of US natural gas while generating $27.3 billion in state tax revenue and supporting over 1.3 million jobs.The Permian Basin continues to demonstrate remarkable productivity gains, delivering 20% more output using 40% fewer rigs compared to 2018-2019 levels through advanced data analytics and re-fracking technologies. This efficiency revolution has enabled Texas to account for 80% of US oil growth year-to-date while natural gas demand reaches record highs of 148.7 trillion cubic feet globally. Despite economic headwinds including record $18.4 trillion household debt and softening labor indicators, energy markets continue to show resilience with diesel demand up 4% and jet fuel climbing 5% year-over-year, reflecting continued industrial activity and travel recovery.Natural gas is rapidly becoming the critical infrastructure powering AI data centers and the digital economy, with hyperscalers increasingly turning to co-located natural gas generation for reliable 24/7 electricity. As geopolitical tensions create new energy partnerships between Russia and China through proposed pipelines capable of 5 billion cubic feet per day, and Europe relies on up to 75% of Texas LNG exports during peak periods, traditional energy resources prove foundational not just to current economic prosperity but to the future of automation, artificial intelligence, and global technological advancement.Episode Chapters0:00 Weakening U.S. Dollar & Interest Rates2:21 Growing Household Debt4:20 Emerging Markets & Supply Chains5:27 Growing Natural Gas Demand12:49 Growing Global Oil Demand16:51 Potential Weakening U.S. Economy18:33 Global Oil Supply21:27 China24:49 Europe29:55 Permian Basin 32:58 ADS Business Conditions Index34:33 Tech's Impact on Oil & Natural Gas Industry36:03 Texas Oil & Natural Gas Industry's Economic Impact 37:52 Next QuarterRecorded on Thursday, September 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/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 the new expansion announcements from both Waymo and Tesla, framing it as a “heavyweight fight”. Waymo announced plans to expand to Denver and Seattle, with Denver set to become the first city where its fleet will include both Jaguar I-PACEs and Zeekrs. The company also gained regulatory approval to operate at the San Jose (SJC) airport, a move Grayson Brulte predicted five months ago on a previous episode.Meanwhile, Tesla opened the public waitlist for its Robotaxi app, which quickly surged up the Apple App Store charts, reaching #1 in the travel category and #8 overall among free apps.The discussion then broadens beyond the Waymo–Tesla rivalry, touching on the political headwinds Waymo faces in Seattle, NHTSA's recent regulatory changes designed to accelerate autonomous vehicle commercialization, and Torc's $660 million annual burn rate as Daimler Truck explores external funding options.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo-Tesla Competition 5:48 Waymo's Denver Expansion 8:01 No Uber Partnership for Denver or Seattle?10:36 Waymo's Affection for Unwelcoming Cities, Including Seattle 15:24 Benefits of Autonomy 16:37 Updated NHTSA Rules19:23 Waymo Expands to San Jose Airport, Is SFO Next?24:22 Tesla Opens Robotaxi Waitlist 27:43 Highway Unlocks30:44 Avride Launching on Uber in Dallas33:16 Tensor Auto35:49 Daimler Truck is Seeking Outside Capital for Torc40:18 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, September 5, 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 marked the one-year anniversary of Autonomy Markets and discussed the reignited debate between LiDAR and vision-only after comments made by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi during an interview. During the interview, Mr. Khosrowshahi stated that in the short term, a combination of camera, LiDAR, and radar is the “right solution,” noting that all of Uber's current partners use this combination. This statement prompted a response from Elon Musk, who argued via a post on X that LiDAR and radar actually reduce safety due to “sensor contention” and reaffirmed Tesla's commitment to a camera-only system. Beyond the technical debate, Grayson and Walt discussed Tesla's expanded Robotaxi service in Austin and the growing opposition to a potential Waymo deployment in New York City.Episode Chapters0:00 One-Year Anniversary of Autonomy Markets2:14 Dara Khosrowshahi Reignites LiDAR vs Vision-Only Debate9:24 Elon Musk's LiDAR Rebuttal 11:49 What if Tesla Embraced LiDAR?14:29 Robotaxi Expands in Austin, Once Again18:14 Traffic Fatalities 20:32 Waymo Begins Testing in New York City26:06 Boring Company is Testing FSD Supervised in Las Vegas29:07 Stellantis Shuts Down Internal ADAS Development Program31:28 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, August 28, 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.

Anshuman Saxena, Vice President and Head of ADAS/Autonomous Driving Products, Qualcomm joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Qualcomm's Snapdragon autonomy strategy.Qualcomm's automotive division is rapidly expanding, with revenue up 59% year-over-year to $959 million. At the center of this growth is the company's Snapdragon Digital Chassis, a comprehensive automotive platform and the cornerstone of Qualcomm's autonomy strategy.As part of this approach, Qualcomm is redefining the digital cockpit by integrating AI-powered natural language interactions, advanced graphics through Adreno GPUs, and vision-based systems that enhance both safety and user experience.Looking ahead, Qualcomm's Snapdragon architecture is not only powering vehicles today but also laying the foundation for robotics and future intelligent systems.Episode Chapters0:00 Qualcomm's Approach to Autonomy6:10 ADAS Growth Opportunity 10:09 Consumer Adoption of ADAS12:10 In-Vehicle Experience 16:37 Snapdragon Digital Chassis17:44 Adreno GPU24:15 Developing Technology with Partners28:05 Robotaxi Platform29:36 Vision Systems 33:07 Personally Owned Autonomous Vehicles 35:46 Reasoning 40:54 Chip Design 45:16 Future of Qualcomm's Automotive Division Recorded on Tuesday, August 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/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 the significant operational challenges Waymo and Uber are currently experiencing in Atlanta and Nuro's Series E round.Waymo's launch in Atlanta has gone anything but smooth. A shortage of vehicles and frequent rider pairing issues on Uber have sparked negative local media coverage, with Fox 5 Atlanta even publishing a guide on how to improve your chances of getting a Waymo ride. The Atlanta launch has raised questions about the long-term future of Uber and Waymo's partnership. While Waymo and Uber are facing vehicle supply issues in Atlanta, Nuro successfully closed a Series E round led by Uber that raised $203 million at a valuation of $6 billion.Episode Chapters0:00 Robots2:42 Nuro Series E4:54 Delivery Robots Part 16:11 Fleet Management 9:24 Delivery Robots Part 214:26 Waymo on Uber in Atlanta 21:15 Status of Waymo and Uber's Relationship 26:58 Helm.ai Honda Expand Partnership 32:21 Alibaba's Autonomous Driving IPO34:16 Baidu Apollo Go36:35 Tesla FSD in Japan38:46 Cybercab39:32 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, August 21, 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.

David Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief, Bloomberg joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss GM's renewed interest in autonomous vehicles.From robotaxis to personally owned autonomous vehicles, GM is once again preparing to enter the autonomous vehicle. This time in a initiative led by Chief Product Officer Sterling Anderson, GM is focusing on developing personally owned autonomous vehicles. Despite the shift in strategy, GM faces significant hurdles. The company must rebuild trust with the tech community to attract top talent after Cruise's high-profile failures. At the same time, the company continues to face intense competition from Tesla, whose rapidly advancing Full Self-Driving (FSD) system raises questions about whether GM can develop a competitive system in-house or if it will need to license technology from Waymo, Wayve, or Nuro.GM's return to autonomy opens the door to many questions. Questions that will only be answered in the years ahead.Episode Chapters0:00 GM Once Again Enters the Autonomy Market4:07 Can Sterling Anderson Revive GM's Autonomy Ambitions? 6:36 GM's “New” Autonomy System9:16 Super Cruise Subscription Revenue 10:37 Tesla13:48 Does GM Have to License?14:49 Rebuilding Trust18:26 Would GM ever do a Waymo Deal?20:04 Licensing + Data23:51 Timeline26:43 Pricing Autonomy32:41 Ford34:22 Where Does GM Ultimately Go?Recorded on Monday, August 10, 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 GM's sudden return to autonomous vehicles, Waymo's growing supply constraints, and the launch of Tensor Auto.A few months after shutting down Cruise, GM is once again re-entering the autonomous vehicle market, but this time with a twist. This time around the company will be focusing on developing personally-owned autonomous vehicles instead of robotaxis. This is GM's third attempt at autonomy, raising questions about whether the company can regain the trust of engineers and the broader industry after repeatedly abandoning past efforts. While GM prepares for another autonomy reboot, Waymo continues to grapple with supply constraints. And then there is a new entrant to the autonomy markets, Tensor Auto (formerly Auto X) which is planning to launch a personally owned autonomous vehicle featuring 37 cameras, manufactured by VinFast. In corporate moves, Uber Freight CEO Lior Ron has left the company to become COO of Waabi in a surprising move that has drawn significant industry attention.Episode Chapters0:00 GM's Revised Autonomy Plans11:31 Ford's Continued Autonomy Disdain14:37 Where is Toyota?16:06 Waymo's Supply Constraints 20:37 Waymo in Atlanta 24:27 Is Waymo Expanding too Fast?25:25 Tesla FSD29:43 Robotaxi's Upcoming Public Launch 33:19 Tesla Eyes NYC Robotaxi Expansion 35:02 Tensor Auto43:20 Uber Freight / Waabi 52:47 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, August 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/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Deregulation - but still plenty of regulations - autonomous trucks, and more. The trucking industry has experienced dramatic changes over the years. We talk with Steve Viscelli, a sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Big Rig: Trucking and the Decline of the American Dream, about it.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Uber's growing autonomous vehicle investments and why they won't be modest. While Uber publicly framed their autonomy spending as “modest” and emphasized share buybacks, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi made it clear on the company's Q2 2025 earnings call that more OEM partnerships and AV deals are on the horizon. At the same time, Uber pointed to “recycling” past investments, raising the question: why recycle when the company's growing free cash flow can support both increased buybacks and significant investments in the autonomy ecosystem? Is this simply a bid to reassure Wall Street while simultaneously preparing for an autonomous future?Anything is possible and we broke it all down on this week's edition of Autonomy Markets along with Lyft's renewed interest in autonomy and their willingness to invest and own assets. As Lyft prepares to spend (with a smaller balance sheet), Uber's autonomy investments will be anything but modest.Episode Chapters0:00 Uber's Autonomy Investments Narrative 3:49 Who Finances Robotaxi Fleets?6:16 What is Holding Back Growth of AVs?8:26 Autonomous Driving Systems10:20 Uber's AV Exclusive Deals 12:05 Uber Recycling Investments 16:09 Uber's Relationship with Waymo 18:49 Lyft is Leaning into Autonomy21:52 Lyft Partners with Baidu for Europe and UK Markets 2428 Managing AV Fleets 28:24 Aurora LIVE31:24 Zoox NHTSA Exemption 32:47 Autonomy Expands the Rideshare Market 37:33 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, August 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.

Andrew Chapin, Chief Operating Officer, Nuro joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Nuro's three-way partnership with Uber and Lucid Motors, which will see Uber exclusively deploy the Lucid Gravity robotaxi powered by Nuro on their platform.In a deal that clearly validates their bold pivot to licensing, Uber has committed to deploying 20,000 Nuro powered robotaxis globally on the Uber network over the next six years, with the potential for significantly greater scale as the partnership matures.This isn't just another robotaxi announcement, this could be the blueprint for the future of robotaxi deployment. An autonomous driving software developer licenses its technology to an OEM, which integrates the software and hardware at the factory, while a third party owns and operates the vehicles on a commercial network.Episode Chapters0:00 Nuro x Lucid x Uber Deal4:55 Going Global6:39 Building the Lucid Gravity Robotaxi13:15 Maintaining the Robotaxi16:07 Nuro Hardware19:41 What's Next?23:10 Nuro's Business Discipline 26:58 Preparing for Market Launches31:31 Highways33:08 Operations 35:13 Looking ForwardRecorded on Tuesday, July 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/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 expansion to Dallas without Uber, instead partnering with Avis and renewing a relationship that dates back to 2017 and the emerging Tesla double standard. Waymo's multi-year partnership with Avis signals the company's desire to maintain flexibility, rather than locking into exclusive partnerships. With Avis once again joining the autonomous vehicle industry as a service provider, could Hertz and Enterprise be next to jump back in to the industry? As Waymo continues to expand to new markets, Tesla ha recently launched a ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area, covering a vast service area from San Jose to Berkeley, albeit with safety drivers due to California's regulatory constraints.Staying in the policy theme, Waymo is facing fierce resistance in Boston, where several City Council members are attempting to ban autonomous vehicles unless a safety driver is present. The opposition underscores the uphill battle autonomous vehicles companies still face in when expanding to new markets. Then there is the Tesla double standard. No matter what the company does, someone seemingly will find something wrong, something to nitpick and something to complain about. From social media to regulatory hearings, the double standard is real, and unfortunately it is shaping some aspect of the public autonomous vehicle narrative.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo Expands to Dallas2:07 Waymo Partners with Avis Once Again6:19 Dallas Robotaxi Market8:24 Rental Car Companies11:31 Waymo Highway Testing13:30 Waymo's Unfriendly Boston Welcome 19:28 Tesla's Bay Area Ride-Hail Expansion 22:04 Tesla and Waymo's Rabid Fans 25:39 Tesla Robotaxi27:48 Tesla & Waymo's Impact on Uber29:03 Autonomous Trucking31:45 Aurora 34:52 Investor Interest in Autonomous Trucking36:04 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, July 31, 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.

Kevin Peterson, Co-Founder & CTO, Bedrock Robotics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the growing labor shortage in the construction industry and how Bedrock is developing autonomous construction equipment to help builders keep building.America's construction industry is facing a crisis with a shortage of 500,000 workers delaying projects by an average of two months and costing $2.7 billion annually. Bedrock is looking to solve that problem as they are building autonomous construction equipment using machine learning techniques such as imitation learning and reinforcement learning to teach machines how to dig, move, and adapt in real-world job sites.Throughout the conversation, Grayson and Kevin explore the economic, technical, and operational challenges facing the construction sector, from power constraints slowing down data center builds to safety risks on chaotic job sites and how autonomy can solve these growing issues. Episode Chapters0:00 From Cars and Trucks to Construction 3:16 Automating Construction Equipment 9:51 OEM Partnerships 10:49 Construction Partners 12:55 Data16:56 Deploying Autonomous Construction Equipment 24:00 Challenges 26:15 Job Creation 28:09 Human to Machine Ratio30:28 Bedrock OS33:40 Maps34:29 Construction TAMRecorded on Thursday, July 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/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 Tesla and Alphabet's Q2 2025 earnings calls, Tesla's growing robotaxi ambitions and the launch of Zoox's limited fixed-route service in Las Vegas.Tesla's Robotaxi expansion ambitions are growing, and on their Q2 2025 earnings call, Elon Musk disclosed that Tesla is looking to expand robotaxi service to Nevada, Florida, Arizona and the Bay Area as soon as this weekend. Two key factors behind Tesla's ability to scale quickly are its expansive Supercharger network and its streamlined sensor suite, which is much simpler than those used by Waymo.In Las Vegas, Zoox which requires a robust sensor-suite opened service to members of the public through what the company calls an “Explorers Program”. The operation is highly restricted running only between Resorts World and Luxor, with every ride requiring concierge assistance, giving it the feel of a Disneyland ride rather than an robotaxi service.While robotaxis are scaling, the autonomous trucking industry continues to work through its business model. Multiple models are emerging, with some companies focused on licensing their technology and others building vertically integrated operations.This week, Walt joined the PACCAR earnings call to ask a question about their partnership with Aurora.Episode Chapters0:00 Tesla Q2 2025 Earnings / Robotaxi4:26 FSD Take Rate6:53 Safety9:38 Robotaxi Expansion to Las Vegas?11:15 Zoox Las Vegas Service17:55 Who Launches Commercial Service First in Vegas? Zoox or Tesla?18:46 Amazon's Commitment to Zoox21:24 Scaling Robotaxi26:31 Robotaxi Bay Area Launch28:21 VW's Continued Autonomous Driving Struggles 32:36 Alphabet's Commitment to Waymo34:14 Bot Auto Steves & Sons Partnership 37:24 Autonomous Trucking40:02 PACCAR Q2 2205 Earnings Call45:19 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, July 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/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, we welcome Gord Magill, the Canadian-born trucker, writer, & commentator with over 25 years of experience in the trucking industry across four countries, including Canada's ice roads, Australia's outback, & New Zealand's logging routes. He has written extensively on trucking issues & Canadian politics for publications like Newsweek, The American Conservative, & American Affairs Journal, and runs the substack Autonomous Truck(er)s. Magill gained attention for his commentary on the 2022 Canadian Freedom Convoy protests, appearing on platforms like The Tucker Carlson Show & hosting his own podcast, Voice of GO(r)D, where he discusses trucking & policy. He is working on a book, End of the Road: Inside the War on Truckers, set for release in 2026. Let's go!This program is brought to you by DAT Freight & Analytics. Since 1978, DAT has helped truckers & brokers discover more available loads. Whether you're heading home or looking for your next adventure, DAT is building the most trusted marketplace in freight. New users of DAT can save 10% off for the first 12 months by following the link below. Built on the latest technology, DAT One gives you control over every aspect of moving freight, so that you can run your business with speed & efficiency. This program is also brought to you by our newest sponsor, GenLogs. GenLogs is setting a new standard of care for freight intelligence. Book your demo for GenLogs today at www.genlogs.io today!

What's it really like to ride in a self-driving semi-truck? We go beyond the press releases for an exclusive, in-cab look at Bot Auto's autonomous truck navigating the real-world challenges of Houston, from complex overpasses to busy traffic. Join Thomas Wasson for this special episode of Track Tech Live as he rides along to see the technology in action. The conversation covers more than just the impressive driving; we cover the business philosophy that could define the future of autonomous freight. Discover why Bot Auto's "trucking first" approach, relentless focus on cost-per-mile (CPM), and lean operational strategy set it apart. A huge thank you to the entire team for the access and the insightful conversation! ⁠Follow the Truck Tech Podcast⁠ ⁠Other FreightWaves Shows⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tim Bucher, Co-Founder & CEO, Agtonomy joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how a 47-year-old California regulation is stalling the adoption of autonomous tractors and threatening the future of farming in the Golden State.Since his last appearance, Agtonomy has entered into a partnership with Kubota to develop autonomous tractors aimed at easing the growing labor shortages in agriculture. Despite this progress, regulatory hurdles remain a significant barrier to scaling these technologies in California. A 47-year-old CAL/OSHA regulation technically prohibits the use of autonomous tractors on private farmland, a law originally implemented to prevent the dangerous practice of “driverless tractors,” where operators would jump off moving machines to complete manual tasks.Today, that outdated regulation is being applied to modern autonomous tractors, creating a de facto ban. As a CAL/OSHA's autonomous ag vehicles committee member, Tim offers a behind-the-scenes look at the slow but promising progress toward updating the law and unlocking the future of farming in California.Episode Chapters0:00 Agtonomy x Kubota6:25 CAL/OSHA Regulations10:36 Historical Context of CAL/OSHA “Driverless” Regulations17:57 CAL/OSHA Advisory Committee23:49 Defining Regulatory Language25:50 Engaging with the Autonomous Ag Community32:15 Labor Issues37:13 Regulations39:58 Regulations & Economics43:35 Preparing for GrowthRecorded on Thursday, July 17, 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 their driver-out ride with Avride, Nuro's impressive deal with Lucid and Uber, and Waymo's Austin depot operated by AVOMO. While in Austin last week, Grayson and Walt met with AVride, experienced a fully autonomous ride in their Hyundai IONIQ 5, and spent time with the company's management team. AVride's engineering and OEM partnership strategy stood out as key strengths and later this year, the company will launch commercial service on the Uber network in Dallas.Scaling robotaxi services requires real-world logistics, and companies such as AVOMO are leaning into the opportunity by building businesses to manage fleets of robotaxis. In Austin, AVOMO is managing a Costco-sized depot with 36 charging ports and on-site maintenance for Uber's Austin Waymo fleet.Another day, another autonomy deal for Uber. This week, Nuro announced a six-year deal with Lucid Motors and Uber to bring fully integrated autonomous Lucid Gravity vehicles powered by the Nuro driver to the Uber platform starting next year. As part of the deal, Uber is going to own the asset as they are entering the asset-ownership game, as we correctly called on Autonomy Markets.Episode Chapters0:00 Avomo, Waymo, Uber Austin Depot7:51 Depot Real Estate10:16 Vehicle Ownership13:13 Waymo / Uber Relationship 15:13 Avride23:30 Nuro, Lucid, Uber Deal 32:42 Uber's Autonomous Vehicle Asset + Logistics Strategy36:32 Tesla Robotaxi's Expanded Austin Service Area40:41 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, July 17, 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.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of the Industrial AI Podcast we talk about MAN TruckScenes: the world's first freely available sensor and driving data for autonomous trucks. In the newspart Peter and Robert discuss their plans and their news.

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.

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.

News and Updates: Apple makes changes to the way they collect in App Store Apple is settling a $95M Siri Class Action, how to get $100 Uber says Robotaxis are busier than almost all the human driven ride shares Autonomous trucks are driving across Texas Warner Bros can't stop rebranding HBO Sesame Street will now be on Netflix as well as PBS

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.

The U.S. DOT plans to set a policy for oversight of autonomous vehicles – just as one company gears up to test them on Texas roadways. Also, all traffic jams are not created equal, and some stand out nationally. An ATRI study has identified the nation's worst traffic bottlenecks. 0:00 – Newscast 10:11 – A turning point for autonomous trucks? 24:49 – The nation's worst traffic bottlenecks

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.

How is Aurora's autonomous truck project going in Texas? George O'Connor and Norita Taylor of OOIDA discuss when it may roll out. Also, which truck stops do the best job? Trucker Path has surveyed truckers about their top truck stops. And load volumes are still above the five-year average – but for how much longer? Brent Hutto with Truckstop says there have been a lot of ups and downs. 0:00 – Newscast 10:11 – Autonomous trucks, speed limiters making headlines 24:49 – Drivers name their top truck stops 39:32 – How long will better load volumes last?

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.

Two key organizers of the ⁠Freedom Convoy⁠, which succeeded in ending the ongoing Covid lockdowns and mandates in 2022, have been found ⁠guilty ⁠of mischief for their role in the protests.Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey said the evidence shows that Chris Barber and Tamara Lich “encouraged people to join or remain at the protest, despite knowing the adverse effect it was having on downtown residents and businesses.”In this episode, ⁠Meghan Murphy⁠ speaks with Gord Magill, a trucker who has been following and covering the persecution of Convoy participants via his work at ⁠Autonomous Truck(er)s⁠ and his podcast, ⁠Voice of Go(r)d⁠. The video version of this interview has been made available in full and for early access to paid subscribers and patrons only. An edited version of the audio will be made available to the public on⁠⁠⁠ The Same Drugs podcast ⁠⁠⁠at a later date.