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This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla increasing their robotaxi inventory in Texas, a controversial autonomous vehicle bill in Washington DC, Uber's acquisition of Delivery Hero, and WeRide‘s global expansion strategies.Data from the Texas DMV shows that Tesla has 175 robotaxis registered in Texas, a quadrupling in just six weeks from 42 on June 1st. This is a trend that is not isolated to Texas, as Grayson has noted in his Robotaxi Miami Field Report that Tesla is also ramping up operations in that market as well.In Washington DC, a new district bill introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen aims to update the 2012 AV Act to allow commercial autonomous operations. However, the bill introduces highly restrictive mandates, including a requirement for autonomous vehicle operators to log over 250,000 testing miles within the district before receiving a commercial permit that could lead to regulatory capture for incumbents.Shifting to the delivery sector, Uber made a major move by earmarking approximately €2 billion through 2031 for European expansion, explicitly including autonomous vehicle initiatives alongside its acquisition of Delivery Hero. Meanwhile, Uber's autonomous delivery partner, Avride, launched sidewalk street robot operations in Miami via Uber Eats, having already completed 60,000 trips.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss WeRide's global Level 2++ on-road validation testing alongside Bosch in Germany, France, and Japan. Additionally, government data from Hong Kong reveals that 63 autonomous driving licenses have been issued across seven companies, with Baidu logging 149,129 miles with safety drivers on pre-approved roads.Closing out the show Grayson and Walt analyze Baidu‘s expansion into Kazakhstan and predict local robotaxi manufacturing could begin there within the next 12 to 18 months.Episode Chapters0:00 Tesla's Growing Robotaxi Fleet4:52 Washington DC's Autonomous Vehicle Bill12:03 Uber Acquires Delivery Hero and Bets on Autonomous Delivery18:07 Lucid's Selloff and the Nuro Partner Risk23:19 WeRide's Level 2++ Expansion24:57 Foreign Autonomy Desk27:10 Next WeekFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterSee 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 Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxi expansion in Hong Kong, the first combat strike using Saronic autonomous vessels on an Iranian naval base, and autonomous drones mapping volcanic gas clouds off the coast of Sicily.Hong Kong issued Baidu three pilot licenses covering 50 vehicles and cleared cross-district driverless trials using its sixth-generation RT6 robotaxis. The city-state's right-hand drive, left-side traffic system turns it into a proving ground for Japan, the UK, Singapore, and Australia, advancing China's Autonomous Belt and Road Initiative and setting up Baidu to export validated autonomy into left-side traffic markets.On July 12, 2026, US Central Command (CENTCOM) executed the first ever combat strike using unmanned surface vessels, deploying three Saronic-built Corsair vessels against Iran's Bandar Abbas Naval Base. The strike marks a doctrinal shift in naval warfare, altering the cost-exchange calculus of maritime conflict as tier one primes reposition themselves as mission integrators and treat autonomous hulls as expendable peripherals to their combat systems.Closing out the show, Grayson and Rob discuss researchers at the Technical University of Munich deploying an autonomous drone on the Italian island of Vulcano to map volcanic gas concentrations at a 5% margin of error, eliminating the need to fly into corrosive plumes.Episode Chapters0:00 KPMG Sponsor Introduction01:34 Signal 1: Baidu's Apollo Go Expansion in Hong Kong18:55 Signal 2: First Autonomous Maritime Combat Strike37:16: Signal 3: Autonomous Drones Mapping Volcanic Gas CloudsFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Todd Deaville, VP, Advanced Manufacturing Innovation, Magna, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence and advanced robotics are transforming global manufacturing.To Deaville, AI is a highly powerful tool set optimized for recognizing complex patterns, making quality-control decisions, and analyzing massive data flows. Applying AI to robotics introduces unprecedented flexibility to the physical world, moving beyond historically rigid, defined programming to enable machines that can adapt and make operational changes in real time.With manufacturing facilities spanning 28 countries, Magna's primary challenge is deploying these advanced technologies at scale. To achieve this, the company clusters its solutions around specific product and process archetypes, relying on a playbook approach with practical guides to help local plants succeed.This shift toward more complex digital workflows is being further accelerated by a new generation of workers whose gaming backgrounds have trained them to navigate highly interactive, realistic three-dimensional simulations.. By continuously feeding operational data back into its systems, Magna is elevating the skills of its workforce, streamlining its design-for-manufacturing processes, and building a highly efficient, autonomous future.Episode Chapters0:00 Defining AI in Manufacturing2:40 Robotics4:42 Open Source Models & Data Sovereignty8:34 Deploying Tech Globally11:07 Labs vs. Active Factory Floors13:06 Scale Is the Real Bottleneck16:56 Humanoid Robots21:13 Gaming and the Evolving Workforce28:57 Magna Data Flywheel31:06 The Future of Robotaxi Manufacturing32:32 Future of Magna33:56 AUTNMY AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, Indices and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterFollow The Road to Autonomy IndicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
There's a lot of talk about driverless cars, they improve traffic, they impede traffic, they're safe, they aren't safe at all. I sat down with Daniel Greene Senior Director of consumer protection and product safety for the National Consumers League. We talked about driverless cars, their future and what's going on with them now. Make no mistake, they are coming. Brought to you by The Good Government Institute, bringing together proven ideas, principled leaders, and real-world solutions to strengthen how we govern—not by reinventing the system, but by advancing what already works. GoodGovernmentShow.com Thanks to our sponsors: HelloNation Ourco Good News For Lefties (and America!) - Daily News for Democracy (Apple Podcasts | Spotify) How to Really Run a City Leading Iowa: Good Government in Iowa's Cities (Apple Podcasts | Spotify) The Context: A Podcast by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation The Good Government Show is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it. The Royal Cousins: How Three Cousins Could Have Stopped A World War by Jim Ludlow Executive Producers: David Martin, David Snyder, Jim Ludlow Host/Reporter: David Martin Producers: David Martin, Jason Stershic Editor: Jason Stershic
This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla‘s unsupervised robotaxi launch in Miami, Waymo preparing to bring four new markets online, and NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison's letter to autonomous vehicle operators.On July 3rd, Tesla launched unsupervised robotaxi in Miami, their first market outside of Texas and California. We were there on the ground conducting field research with no safety monitor and no chase vehicle in sight, riding through torrential downpours and flooded streets. The fleet grew from two vehicles on day one to three vehicles by day three, and it was the best unsupervised robotaxi experience we have ever had.While conducting field research, we counted over two dozen Cybercabs staged in Miami, every single one with a steering wheel and a Florida license plate. We believe these are validation vehicles and that Cybercab will be Tesla's major robotaxi launch vehicle. Notably, Tesla's operating domain extends further west than Waymo's, wrapping around the back side of Miami International Airport.As Tesla scales in Miami, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison sent a letter to autonomous vehicle operators on July 8th citing a pattern of driverless vehicles interfering with police, fire, and EMS. The timing was notable, as our Tesla robotaxi flawlessly pulled over for an ambulance during our Miami rides. Mr. Morrison's approach of loosening hardware rules while tightening behavioral scrutiny is the regulatory framework we believe the industry needs to scale.Waymo opened employee rides in Las Vegas, San Diego, Tampa, and Denver, the final gate before public service. Tampa confirms the call The Road to Autonomy made three weeks ago when we uncovered Waymo's 100,000 square foot warehouse lease near Tampa International Airport.Beyond the four new cities, OMEGA uncovered corporate filings pointing to potential Waymo deployments in France, Spain, and the Netherlands, along with an Alphabet entity in Singapore holding $21 billion that we verified as a wholly owned Waymo subsidiary through the Delaware Chancery Court.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss Baidu publicly disclosing 143,000 autonomous driving miles in Hong Kong and Zelos securing Malaysia's first L4 public road permit for driverless delivery.Episode Chapters0:00 Tesla Launches Robotaxi in Miami8:50 Tesla's Miami Service Area Compared to Waymo's14:35 NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison's Letter to Autonomous Vehicle Operators19:13 Waymo's New Markets: Las Vegas, San Diego, Tampa, and Denver23:02 Denver: Waymo's First Snow and Ice Market26:41 OMEGA uncovers Waymo's European Grand Ambitions29:32 Waymo's Playbook32:01 Uber's Autonomy Partners Struggles34:27 Foreign Autonomy Desk35:21 Next WeekFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterSee 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 Signals presented by KPMG Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Tesla's Unsupervised Robotaxi launch in Miami, Waymo's July 4th stumble in San Francisco, and Momenta's oversubscribed IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.On July 5, 2026, Tesla launched Unsupervised Robotaxi service in Miami, its first unsupervised market outside of Texas, with retrofitted Model Ys operating through heavy rain and flooded roadways during the heart of hurricane season.Grayson was on the ground for launch day, riding through South Florida's mini lakes without a single hesitation from the vehicle, and uncovered a Cybercab staging lot near Miami International Airport with dozens of vehicles ready to deploy. The Miami launch is a deliberate stress test of Tesla's camera-only system against the exact adverse weather conditions currently under NHTSA engineering analysis, and the receipts reveal a premium pricing experiment running 3X to 4X the base fare of Tesla's Texas markets.Then there is Waymo, whose vehicles bricked across San Francisco on the 4th of July as fireworks, road closures, dense crowds, and connectivity failures overwhelmed the fleet. Vehicles idled until their batteries depleted and had to be towed, one Waymo burned, and San Francisco officials have launched inquiries into the incident.The July 4th stumble potentially exposed a remote assistance bottleneck that makes Waymo's lean human supervision model the critical scaling constraint in burst demand emergencies, threatening the path to one million weekly rides as regulators eye special event requirements and remote operator staffing ratios.Closing out the show, Grayson and Rob discuss Momenta's listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as the market's first physical AI stock, with the retail tranche oversubscribed 414 times and 14 cornerstone investors including BlackRock, Fidelity International, GIC, Mercedes-Benz, and BYD.With its software running in over 900,000 vehicles and licensing revenue growing 42-fold over three years, Momenta's IPO signals that institutional investors are shifting their preference away from speculative capital-intensive deployments towards proven physical AI providers.Episode Chapters00:00 KPMG Sponsor Introduction01:16 Signal 1: Tesla Launches Unsupervised Robotaxi in Miami38:38 Signal 2: Waymo's July 4th Stumble in San Francisco1:11:27 Signal 3: Momenta IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock ExchangeFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A billion-dollar lawsuit over a failed satellite city northeast of Las Vegas, which is led by a Lombardo campaign advisor, is headed to trial, and if developers win, it could fundamentally change the way the state regulates water rights. Then, a data center developer near Boulder City found a way around the city's public approval process by pivoting to federal land, which could open the door for more data center projects to follow suit. Plus, driverless cars are getting closer to Las Vegas streets as Waymo announces fully autonomous testing in the valley. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with reporters Tabitha Mueller of the Nevada Independent and Michael "MJ" Lyle of the Nevada Current. And in a members-only bonus segment, Gov. Joe Lombardo has outspent his opponent, Attorney General Aaron Ford 174 to 1 on campaign ads in a race everyone says is a toss-up. So what impact will that actually have on the governor's race? Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.
Brett Suma, President and COO of Bot Auto, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Bot Auto's playbook for autonomously driving one billion autonomous miles in four years.On April 29th by completing its first humanless run from Houston to Dallas. To achieve long-term growth and commercial success, Bot Auto is rejecting the standard driver-as-a-service intermediary model used by its competitors. Instead, the company is building direct relationships with shippers and designing a utility grid of capacity focused on solving network sequencing, lane selection, and utilization.As the company focuses on capital-efficient deployment, Bot Auto plans to sidestep raising large funding rounds to purchase depreciating operations assets. Instead, the company will rely on traditional financing methods, established banking relationships, and an experienced sales force to scale its tractor and trailer counts. With a comprehensive five-year financial roadmap in place, Bot Auto is positioning itself to scale organically based on market demand, setting a disciplined target of one billion autonomous miles within the next four years.Episode Chapters0:00 Why Bot Auto4:56 April 29th Humanless Houston to Dallas Run9:52 Economics of Humanless Miles14:36 Building a Trucking Business17:17 Capacity as a Utility Grid, Not Truck Counts24:19 Bot Auto's Business Model29:34 CapEx and Financing Trucks32:15 Hidden Risk of Operating a Mixed Fleet41:49 Staying Disciplined as Bot Auto Grows44:24 One Billion Autonomous Miles in Four Years47:36 AUTNMY AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, Indices and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterFollow The Road to Autonomy IndicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Cab Chat Episode 290 The Unexpected Chaos When Driverless Cars Meet London’s Narrow, Nerve-Wracking Roads Explore the evolving landscape of London’s roads, autonomous vehicles, and the quirks of modern road etiquette in this insightful episode with taxi drivers Jamie and Tom. We discuss recent incidents with Waymo cars, the limitations of driverless tech in London, and the impact of new mobility trends on everyday life. Main topics include: The challenges and peculiarities of London’s autonomous vehicle trials Incidents involving Waymo cars, including wrong-way drives and police interventions The practical issues of London's narrow roads, road etiquette, and cyclist behavior The impact of Lime bikes and ride-hailing habits on urban mobility The regulatory landscape and technological restrictions in place for e-scooters and bikes In this episode: (00:01) Introduction: London’s road issues and autonomous vehicle updates (01:31) The latest on Waymo cars in London and their unpredictable behavior (05:14) The controversial incident of a Waymo driving the wrong way through Kingsway Tunnel (09:13) Police reports and conspiracy theories surrounding autonomous vehicle mishaps (13:45) The potential for driverless cars to handle complex London traffic and their limitations (16:40) Leaked information on speed restrictions for delivery bikes and geofencing (22:43) The impact of Lime bikes and scooter chaos on pavements and accessibility (28:35) Road sharing etiquette, cyclist priority, and pedestrian safety concerns (33:22) The importance of civility, common sense, and respect on London's busy streets (36:43) The rise of food delivery riders and their effects on traffic and road safety (39:10) The recent M4 bike dump incident and its implications for road safety Resources & Links: London Centric — For in-depth London transport news and updates How autonomous vehicles see London — video — Visual insights into AV operations London’s Road User Etiquette Framework — Guidelines for sharing the road effectively Note: The episode discusses incidents that highlight the current limitations of autonomous vehicle technology in complex urban environments, emphasizing the ongoing need for human oversight and responsible road sharing. The Cab Chat Show is a podcast mainly centred around London and it’s Iconic Black Cab Trade but also including the Hackney Carriage trade around the UK The Cab Chat Show has been running since 2014 and is the longest running Taxi related podcast in the UK. Visit the Cab Chat YouTube Channel http://cabchat.uk Visit Jamie the Cabby YouTube Channel / @jamiethecabby Vist Tom the Taxi Driver Channel / @tomthetaxidriver CHECK ME OUT:
This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the end of Waymo and Uber's partnership in Phoenix, Tesla's Cybercab hitting the streets of Austin branded for America 250 and Waymo's "Because they're everything" World Cup campaign.As Tesla gets closer and closer to putting the Cybercab into service, the U.S. Government is inching toward a national framework that would allow vehicles with no steering wheel and no pedals to deploy across all 50 states and charge for rides.It is the regulatory environment that we believe Tesla is waiting to change before deploying Cybercab into the fleet, even if the rides are free. As Tesla waits for regulatory certainty, The Road to Autonomy broke the news that Waymo and Uber quietly ended their Phoenix partnership, noticing an update on the Uber autonomous vehicle site.The Phoenix partnership, which lasted 948 days, consisted of a fleet of 12 vehicles that serviced a 180 square mile area. Important to note that this was a dedicated fleet for Uber and the vehicles were not part of the traditional Waymo fleet.Now that Waymo and Uber have divorced in Phoenix, we believe it is only a matter of time until they divorce in Austin, where the service has been live for 482 days, and Atlanta, where the service has been live for 370 days. Both partnerships could unwind by the first quarter of 2027.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss the global growth of FSD and Volkswagen and Bosch ending their automated driving partnership, the latest in a long line of stalled autonomy efforts at the German automaker.Episode Chapters00:00 Happy 250th Birthday, America1:15 Waymo and Uber Phoenix Divorce5:47 Dara, Nuro and Wayve Signals8:24 Who Could Backfill Phoenix for Uber?13:52 The Fizzling Demand Narrative17:51 Cybercab, Branded for America 25021:53 Regulatory, Not Safety, Is Holding Cybercab Back24:50 Tesla Semi25:54 Waymo's World Cup Because They're Everything Campaign28:06 Robotaxis at Airports29:32 Chinese Made Vehicles31:11 Foreign Autonomy Desk34:15 Next WeekFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on the show this week! Do Americans trust driverless vehicles? Safety tools for Social Media are failing kids. Sony is ceasing the production of physical games in January 2028. And a Supreme Court ruling guts the government's use of geofence warrants. A new Pew Research survey finds only 5% of U.S. adults have ridden in a driverless car, and 71% say they wouldn't feel comfortable riding in one in the first place. An audit conducted by the Cybersafety Research Center showcases that, within Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, the research center found 51 of 86 advertised child-safety features were either broken, buried, or missing. Sony announced it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. And in Chatrie v. United States, which reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled 6-3 that police need a warrant to obtain Google location-history data, further extending Fourth Amendment protections for Americans. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT framer.com/tnw hipebl.ai threatlocker.com/twit rippling.ai/tnw
Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on the show this week! Do Americans trust driverless vehicles? Safety tools for Social Media are failing kids. Sony is ceasing the production of physical games in January 2028. And a Supreme Court ruling guts the government's use of geofence warrants. A new Pew Research survey finds only 5% of U.S. adults have ridden in a driverless car, and 71% say they wouldn't feel comfortable riding in one in the first place. An audit conducted by the Cybersafety Research Center showcases that, within Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, the research center found 51 of 86 advertised child-safety features were either broken, buried, or missing. Sony announced it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. And in Chatrie v. United States, which reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled 6-3 that police need a warrant to obtain Google location-history data, further extending Fourth Amendment protections for Americans. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT framer.com/tnw hipebl.ai threatlocker.com/twit rippling.ai/tnw
Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on the show this week! Do Americans trust driverless vehicles? Safety tools for Social Media are failing kids. Sony is ceasing the production of physical games in January 2028. And a Supreme Court ruling guts the government's use of geofence warrants. A new Pew Research survey finds only 5% of U.S. adults have ridden in a driverless car, and 71% say they wouldn't feel comfortable riding in one in the first place. An audit conducted by the Cybersafety Research Center showcases that, within Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, the research center found 51 of 86 advertised child-safety features were either broken, buried, or missing. Sony announced it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. And in Chatrie v. United States, which reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled 6-3 that police need a warrant to obtain Google location-history data, further extending Fourth Amendment protections for Americans. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT framer.com/tnw hipebl.ai threatlocker.com/twit rippling.ai/tnw
This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss the pending Uber-Waymo divorce, Agility Robotics' $2.5 billion SPAC merger with Churchill Capital XI, and the launch of The Road to Autonomy Confidence Indices.As of May, Waymo and Uber concluded their robotaxi partnership in Phoenix after roughly 948 days, with Waymo going exclusively direct-to-consumer in that market and Uber seeking a replacement partner, with a Nuro / Lucid partnership as the leading candidate.Uber's value to select autonomous vehicle operators is highest during market entry, and once an operator builds density and consumer trust, Uber's value diminishes as the robotaxi provider's brand grows in that market.Then there is Agility Robotics, whose $2.5 billion SPAC merger with Churchill Capital XI targets over $620 million in gross proceeds to become the first pure-play humanoid robotics entity in the public markets. The listing could be perceived as a forced transparency event, as SEC disclosures will stress-test the contested 98% task success rate, the $300 million contingent backlog, and a warehouse data moat that risks becoming a depreciating asset as the industry pivots to foundation model generalization.Closing out the show, Grayson and Rob discuss the launch of The Road to Autonomy Confidence Indices, a first-of-its-kind benchmark tracking the market's confidence in the global commercial adoption of robotaxis, autonomous driving licensing, autonomous trucks, and delivery bots.Each index is a single zero-to-100 reading, cryptographically sealed and independently verifiable, and the early divergence is telling, as robotaxi confidence is rising while the market continues to be unsure about autonomous trucking.Episode Chapters00:00 Signal 1: Waymo/Uber Divorce: Predictable and Repeatable34:29 Signal 2: Agility Robotics' $2.5B merger with Churchill Capital XI55:06 Signal 3: The Road to Autonomy Confidence Indices Launch1:04:19 AUTNMY AIFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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.
Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on the show this week! Do Americans trust driverless vehicles? Safety tools for Social Media are failing kids. Sony is ceasing the production of physical games in January 2028. And a Supreme Court ruling guts the government's use of geofence warrants. A new Pew Research survey finds only 5% of U.S. adults have ridden in a driverless car, and 71% say they wouldn't feel comfortable riding in one in the first place. An audit conducted by the Cybersafety Research Center showcases that, within Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, the research center found 51 of 86 advertised child-safety features were either broken, buried, or missing. Sony announced it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. And in Chatrie v. United States, which reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled 6-3 that police need a warrant to obtain Google location-history data, further extending Fourth Amendment protections for Americans. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT framer.com/tnw hipebl.ai threatlocker.com/twit rippling.ai/tnw
Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on the show this week! Do Americans trust driverless vehicles? Safety tools for Social Media are failing kids. Sony is ceasing the production of physical games in January 2028. And a Supreme Court ruling guts the government's use of geofence warrants. A new Pew Research survey finds only 5% of U.S. adults have ridden in a driverless car, and 71% say they wouldn't feel comfortable riding in one in the first place. An audit conducted by the Cybersafety Research Center showcases that, within Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, the research center found 51 of 86 advertised child-safety features were either broken, buried, or missing. Sony announced it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. And in Chatrie v. United States, which reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled 6-3 that police need a warrant to obtain Google location-history data, further extending Fourth Amendment protections for Americans. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT framer.com/tnw hipebl.ai threatlocker.com/twit rippling.ai/tnw
Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on the show this week! Do Americans trust driverless vehicles? Safety tools for Social Media are failing kids. Sony is ceasing the production of physical games in January 2028. And a Supreme Court ruling guts the government's use of geofence warrants. A new Pew Research survey finds only 5% of U.S. adults have ridden in a driverless car, and 71% say they wouldn't feel comfortable riding in one in the first place. An audit conducted by the Cybersafety Research Center showcases that, within Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, the research center found 51 of 86 advertised child-safety features were either broken, buried, or missing. Sony announced it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. And in Chatrie v. United States, which reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled 6-3 that police need a warrant to obtain Google location-history data, further extending Fourth Amendment protections for Americans. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT framer.com/tnw hipebl.ai threatlocker.com/twit rippling.ai/tnw
Abrar Al-Heeti of CNET joins Mikah Sargent on the show this week! Do Americans trust driverless vehicles? Safety tools for Social Media are failing kids. Sony is ceasing the production of physical games in January 2028. And a Supreme Court ruling guts the government's use of geofence warrants. A new Pew Research survey finds only 5% of U.S. adults have ridden in a driverless car, and 71% say they wouldn't feel comfortable riding in one in the first place. An audit conducted by the Cybersafety Research Center showcases that, within Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube, the research center found 51 of 86 advertised child-safety features were either broken, buried, or missing. Sony announced it will stop making physical discs for new PlayStation games starting in January 2028. And in Chatrie v. United States, which reached the Supreme Court, the Court ruled 6-3 that police need a warrant to obtain Google location-history data, further extending Fourth Amendment protections for Americans. Hosts: Mikah Sargent and Abrar Al-Heeti Download or subscribe to Tech News Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/tech-news-weekly. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: blackhat.com/us-26 and use code TWIT framer.com/tnw hipebl.ai threatlocker.com/twit rippling.ai/tnw
Ali Kashani, Co-Founder and CEO of Serve Robotics, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Serve Robotics scaled its delivery fleet into an operating layer for physical AI.Over the past year, Serve Robotics has grown from roughly 50 robots to 2,000, and in Q1 2026 the company reported $3 million in revenue with 45% coming from recurring software licenses.To achieve that growth, Serve is now selling their stack as modular layers, letting other companies license the connectivity, data infrastructure, or hardware piece by piece rather than build everything from scratch. This includes a freemium version of Autonomy Assist, its version of remote assistance.As the company continues to grow Serve is ramping production of their Gen 3 vehicle, which runs at one-third the cost of Gen 2 while delivering five times the compute, a 48-mile range, four-wheel steering and suspension, and the ability to operate in heavy rain.The vehicles are sub-assembled in Asia with the completed final assembly occurring in with Magna International in Michigan. This give the company the flexibility to manufacture end to end in Asia for markets where US tariffs make domestic production uneconomical. With international expansion underway in Tokyo and Sydney this year and a larger push planned for 2027, Serve is positioning to follow demand across the APAC region and beyond.Episode Chapters0:00 Growing and Scaling Revenue8:51 Licensing the Platform11:17 World Models14:59 The Laundry Vertical16:52 Expanding Internationally22:39 Gen 3 Vehicle26:17 Edge Cases28:43 Future Form Factors30:09 Diligent Robotics Acquisition34:06 The Operating Layer of Physical AI36:21 Future of Serve Robotics36:54 AUTNMY AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, Indices and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterFollow The Road to Autonomy IndicesSee 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 Qualcomm and Mobileye‘s differing robotaxi strategies, NHTSA removing the physical brake requirement for autonomous vehicles and the New York State Legislature failing to advance an autonomous driving bill.As Congress moves on the Build America 250 Act to legalize autonomous trucking and advances a national framework for autonomous vehicles, Grayson and Walt note that federal action could preempt the hostile policies blocking deployment in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.On the robotaxi side of the business, Mobileye signaled it wants to own and operate a fleet, a press release Grayson flagged for having no city permits and no SEC trail. Walt likened the pivot to BlackBerry building its own product to validate the technology, while Qualcomm took the opposite path at its Investor Day, positioning the company as a low-cost autonomous driving solutions provider that will only supply the Snapdragon automotive platform to enable OEMs to scale their businesses as Qualcomm's automotive business climbs toward $10 billion by fiscal 2029.Before segueing into the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt debate Tesla's robotaxi turning one year old still short of 100 cars in Austin, Uber's week of deals and Waymo pausing service around a World Cup stadium, on highways and in some cases heavy rain, leading the hosts to wonder if there is a sensor issue.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, China's Autonomous Belt and Road Initiative continues to accelerate across the globe with Pony.ai launching commercial service in Singapore, Baidu partnering with Swiss Post and WeRide and Uber preparing to launch commercial service in Switzerland.Episode Chapters0:00 Back from Hiatus01:46 New York Continues to Be Hostile to Autonomous Vehicles 05:07 Uber Continues Global Robotaxi Expansion 06:56 The Rise of Non-Binding MOUs10:28 Waymo Opens Nashville Market12:16 Waymo's On-Going Sensor Issues 14:53 Tesla Robotaxi One-Year Launch Anniversary16:12 Mobileye's Robotaxi Fleet Ambitions21:04 Qualcomm's Growing Automotive Business28:50 May Mobility's European Expansion35:36 China's Autonomous Belt and Road Initiative Continues 36:47 Zoox Design Update38:27 Nvidia's Neibus Investment41:20 The Road to Autonomy Indices Launch43:58 Next WeekFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices --------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, indices and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletterSee 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 Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant are joined by David Moss, Devin Olsen, and Spencer to break down the first-ever FSD coast-to-coast drive across Canada with no interventions and what 3,782 miles exposed the limits of the Tesla's current consumer hardware.For their journey across The Great White North, the team used a Tesla Model 3 running FSD 14.3 on a journey that took them from British Columbia to Halifax, Nova Scotia with zero driving disengagements, across driving environment that the team has never experienced before.The route threw everything at the car. Two lane roads through the middle of nowhere, fifty mile stretches with no markings, construction flaggers holding stop signs, and Supercharger lots with no lines and no visual reference. The trip became a public stress test of the AI4 hardware suite.Over the six day journey, rain and road grime blinded the cameras and triggered occlusion warnings, throwing a red hands takeover as they pulled into a Supercharger. Across the full run, not a single inch was driven by hand. When the weather turned, the team stopped to clean cameras every fifteen minutes, the exact failure mode the Cybercab teardown answers with onboard air and liquid washers.Tesla FSD Supervised is the best Level 2+ system in the market today. As Tesla's robotaxi ambitions grow, the question now is whether camera only hardware can clear weather, occlusion, and the absence of self-cleaning to truly unlock FSD Unsupervised, or whether that threshold rests on AI5 and a washer equipped sensor stack as Tesla scales toward FSD version 15.Episode Chapters00:00 Signal 1: 3,782 miles Across Canada11:11 Camera Occlusion17:04 What FSD Unsupervised Actually Requires32:44 OMEGA's Take45:09 Where's Next?56:45 AUTNMY AIFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices --------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, indices and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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.
Matt Soule, Founder and CEO of Parallel Systems, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Parallel Systems is building the internet of freight by combing autonomy and rail.To date the company has raised nearly $100 million and secured Federal Railroad Administration clearance to test its autonomous rail vehicles on 160 miles of track in Georgia. Parallel's technology integrates directly into back-office railroad dispatch networks, operating like air traffic control so vehicles respect unique track authority and never conflict with traditional freight trains.By replacing mechanical couplers with software-managed bumpers, platoons of up to 50 vehicles form and break apart on the move, splitting off to separate destinations or peeling away to keep grade crossings open. Today, Parallel is now ramping production of its commercial Gen 3 vehicle, which advances past the Gen 2 prototype by hauling up to 160,000 pounds at speeds over 60 mph on an innovative, low-cost bent steel chassis. TThe electric propulsion system is built to revitalize unprofitable short-haul routes under 500 miles by lowering the lane density a railroad needs to justify service. Shifting heavy freight to rail gives shippers pricing stability against volatile diesel spikes, delivers granular tracking visibility, and creates a new ecosystem of local maintenance and remote supervisory jobs while decongesting highway traffic around major ports.To address a growing 300-vehicle backlog, Parallel is expanding manufacturing to a contract facility in Michigan while eyeing international expansion.Episode Chapters00:00 Parallel Systems Raises $100m2:33 Autonomous Rail5:14 Reviving the Inland Ports, Jobs, and Manufacturing10:37 Diesel Volatility12:31 Gen 3 Vehicle17:08 Why Rail21:54 Commercial Operations25:57 The Internet of Freight31:54 What's Next35:28 AUTNMY AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, Indices and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Waymo launches its first national campaign, Liquid Death’s parenting sponsorship, AI coming for prestigious fonts & UFC at the White House and a very 'average' billboard. We watch: Waymo Liquid Death See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discussed the launch of The Road to Autonomy Indices and break down Mobileye's pivot from licensor to robotaxi operator.The Road to Autonomy Indices score 38 companies on commercialization, deployment, and operational maturity across robotaxi, autonomous driving licensing, autonomous trucks, and delivery bots. Built with OMEGA on public and licensed data only, every update is cryptographically sealed to the RFC 3161 standard with an open-source verification layer, making the benchmark a transparent market barometer rather than a capital catalyst.On June 16th, Mobileye announced plans to launch a direct-to-consumer robotaxi service in a major US city in 2027, starting with roughly 100 vehicles and scaling to approximately 17,000 over five years. The press release named no city, disclosed no permits, and left no SEC filing trail, which is why the indices did not move on the headline.The open question is not whether Mobileye can build the technology, but whether its investors have the cash and the conviction to fund billions in below-the-line cost while standing toe-to-toe with Waymo and Tesla.Episode Chapters00:00 Signal 1: The Road to Autonomy Indices Launch23:44 Signal 2: Mobileye Pivots from Licensor to Robotaxi Operator56:42 AUTNMY AIFollow The Road to Autonomy Indices --------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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.
Zach Harrell, Director of Insights and Analysis, Army Applications Laboratory, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how the U.S. Army acquires autonomy and brings cutting-edge technology into the hands of soldiers as fast as possible.The bottleneck in defense autonomy is rarely the technology. It is the acquisition process, the decades of requirements documents and program cycles that slow everything down. AAL exists to break that pattern, broadening the Army's access to the commercial industrial base and capitalizing on the agility of small and non-traditional companies that have never worked with the Department of War.To do that, AAL experiments with process rather than hardware. Their DevX Marketplace lets any company upload a six-minute pitch video, no military ID required, and a passing submission satisfies the competition requirement for contracting, opening a door for the rest of the Army to potentially buy that technology without running a separate solicitation.Autonomous bridging is the proof of what that approach unlocks. Rather than building a new system, AAL backed an autonomy kit that retrofits the Army's existing bridging equipment, letting sections steer and link themselves into position. The payoff in human terms, is a roughly 90% reduction in the soldiers exposed during one of the most dangerous tasks combat engineers perform.With the FY2027 budget requesting $54.6 billion dollars for autonomous warfare and Austin emerging as a defense tech hub, the future of Army technology will depend less on what gets built and more on the Army's willingness to adopt it at the lowest burden and lowest cost, to the greatest effect.Episode Chapters00:00 The AAL Mission: Getting Technology to Soldiers Faster03:44 Inside the DevX Marketplace and the Six-Minute Pitch07:41 Autonomous Bridging12:17 The Connected Battlefield16:01 Department of War $54.6 Billion Autonomy Budget21:37 Learning from the Battlefield29:19 Supply Chain Risk31:57 How AAL Invests: Technical Risk, Military Utility, and Moonshots40:55 How to Work With AAL43:12 The Future of Technology in the U.S. Army44:29 AUTNMY AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 autonomous trucking reaching an inflection point, Waymo acquiring Apple's Arizona proving ground and Tesla filing for a robotaxi permit in Las Vegas.As Gatik expands its middle-mile freight operations with PepsiCo across Texas, Arizona and Arkansas, Volvo Autonomous Solutions told investors it is targeting $3 billion in autonomous transport revenue within five years through its transport-as-a-service (TaaS) business.On the robotaxi side of the business, Waymo acquired Apple's former 5,500-acre proving ground in Wittmann, Arizona for $220 million, a facility with a high-speed oval an hour from its Mesa up-fitting plant. Grayson views the acquisition as a signal that Waymo is preparing to test at highway speeds away from prying eyes, while Walt notes that satellite imagery sees everything.Before the segueing into the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt debate Tesla's Clark County permit application for up to 5,000 robotaxis in a Las Vegas market with roughly 6,500 Uber drivers, Einride going public and Rivian beginning R2 deliveries.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Chinese robotaxi continues to accelerate into Europe with Pony.ai in Luxembourg and WeRide in Slovakia.Episode Chapters00:00 Gatik Goes Driver-Out with PepsiCo02:51 Volvo Targets $3 Billion in Autonomous Transport Revenue06:54 Einride Goes Public08:58 Tesla Files for Clark County Robotaxi Permit11:52 Waymo Acquires Apple's Arizona Proving Ground13:39 Wayve and Uber Open the UK Interest List16:20 Baidu Added to the Pentagon's Designation List18:31 Foreign Autonomy Desk27:13 Nebius Launches a Physical AI Lab28:14 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Tesla's application to operate up to 5,000 robotaxis in Las Vegas, Waymo's $220 million purchase of Apple's former proving grounds, and Neolix's partnership with Quickbot to solve the last 50 meters of autonomous delivery.On June 3rd, Tesla expanded their unsupervised robotaxi geofence to cover the entire 245 square mile Austin metropolitan area, even as its active fleet contracted to an estimated 20 to 25 vehicles. That same week, Tesla filed an application with the Nevada Transportation Authority for an Autonomous Vehicle Network Company permit to operate up to 5,000 robotaxis in Clark County within the next 12 months.With expanding service areas and a contracting physical fleet, Tesla is optimizing for a coverage narrative while software readiness remains the critical bottleneck to commercial scale, and the path to Las Vegas still runs through individual casino property agreements.Waymo purchased Apple's former proving grounds in Wittmann, Arizona, originally the DaimlerChrysler proving grounds, for $220 million. The site is larger than Waymo's existing California and Ohio testing grounds combined, featuring a 115 acre city course, a four mile high speed oval, and a dedicated freeway loop, and it sits roughly an hour from Waymo's Mesa vehicle integration facility.By securing a closed loop validation pipeline adjacent to its manufacturing hub, Waymo is converting capital into validation velocity as it targets one million weekly rides by the end of the year and up to 20 additional cities by the end of 2026.Then there is Neolix, the Chinese autonomous delivery company, which announced a strategic partnership with Singapore-based Quickbot to co-deploy an end-to-end autonomous delivery solution. The integration pairs Neolix's Level 4 logistics vehicles with Quickbot's autonomous final mile delivery platform, which manages secure entry through doors and elevators without human intervention.Anchored in Singapore's Punggol Digital District and timed to the country's regulatory transition from sandbox to commercial operations, the alliance creates the first commercially viable human-free continuous delivery chain from road to door, with the Asia-Pacific and Middle East as the real targets.Episode Chapters00:00 Signal 1: Tesla's Big Austin Expansion and Las Vegas Robotaxi Ambitions22:47 Signal 2: Waymo Buys Apple's Former Proving Grounds44:07 Signal 3: Neolix Partners with Quickbot to Solve the Last 50 Meters56:42 AUTNMY AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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.
Gil West, CEO of Hertz, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the launch of Oro Mobility and how a century of fleet operations is helping robotaxis to scale.A robotaxi parked is a depreciating asset, and the attention goes to the driving while the margin hides everywhere else. Cleaning, charging, maintaining, and positioning the vehicle is the part nobody wants and the part that decides the economics.Oro Mobility was built to own that work. It is an asset-heavy operating company sitting on Hertz infrastructure, 2,700 chargers, more than 11,000 service locations, and a footprint across roughly 160 countries. Oro owns and operates fleets, human-driven and autonomous, and supplies them turnkey to B2B partners including Uber and Nuro in a manner that Gil frames as the connective tissue between the demand aggregators, the technology companies, and the OEMs, the supply layer for the future of mobility.That positioning reshapes how the autonomy economy scales. A robotaxi company no longer has to build depots, charging, and a service network from scratch, something Mr. West says could take decades and billions of dollars to replicate.Over time, Hertz plans to hold robotaxis on its balance sheet as both owner and operator, sweat each asset through the peaks, service it through the valleys, and run the same footprint across rideshare, delivery, and autonomy.Episode Chapters00:00 Hertz's Turnaround1:18 Oro Mobility4:43 Hertz's Infrastructure Advantage13:29 Robotaxi Technicians15:36 Robotaxis and Rideshare are Complementary19:27 Infrastructure Permitting22:26 Peaks and Valleys of Assets Ownership25:47 Inspiration for Oro Mobility28:28 Hertz as a Platform Business30:28 Managing the Turnaround34:21 Defining Success for Oro Mobility35:22 Hertz Over the Next Century37:03 AUTNMY AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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.
Ron doesn't understand why humans would want to give up the pleasure of driving a car, nor the control..... Guests: Actors Kim Gravel and John Battagliese for QVC...Lifestyle Trends Expert Meaghan B. Murphy
This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss WeRide trying to catch up to Waymo globally, Waymo preparing to deploy Chinese-made robotaxis in Texas and the CEO of FedEx Freight's open embracement of autonomous trucking.As WeRide and Uber continue to expand throughout Europe and the Middle East together, Waymo continues to work towards deploying the Chinese-made Zeekr robotaxis now called the Ojai, with data suggesting they are now in Texas, in a politically risky move.FedEx Freight CEO John Smith declared autonomous trucks ready for prime time, a signal Grayson reads alongside Amazon entering the freight business and Uber selling down another stake in Aurora. With Amazon running one of the most sophisticated freight networks in the world and FedEx now a standalone public company, the pressure on Uber Freight is building.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt Uber's continued European push by partnering with Autobrains on a Munich robotaxi service pending regulatory approval, and Saudi Arabia's PIF-backed Humain partnered with NVIDIA to deploy robotaxis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Episode Chapters00:00 SpaceX IPO3:53 WeRide and Uber Expand Across Europe7:39 Waymo Registers 45 Zeekrs in Texas10:30 Waymo's New Tampa Depot15:36 Uber Sells Down Its Aurora Stake16:33 Why Amazon Hasn't Bought an Autonomous Trucking Company?23:04 Avride Robotaxis in Texas25:26 Serve Robotics Moves Into Laundry26:29 Ferrari Rules Out Autonomy28:56 Foreign Autonomy Desk30:27 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Uber's OEM-agnostic robotaxi strategy in Europe, FedEx Freight CEO's declaration that autonomous trucks are ready for prime time, and the AUKUS alliance accelerating undersea autonomy.At GTC Taipei, Uber, Autobrains, and NVIDIA announced a strategic collaboration to launch a robotaxi program in Munich, pending regulatory approval, built on Autobrains' agentic AI and the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion Level 4 platform. With no German OEM attached and Stellantis the likely production partner, the move extends Uber's asset-light playbook of contributing its demand network while pushing vehicle CapEx off its balance sheet and onto its partners.On June 1st, FedEx Freight began trading as an independent standalone company, and CEO John Smith stated that its autonomous tractor-trailers can run yard to interstate to facility with 99.9% autonomy. By framing the primary barrier to commercialization as regulatory rather than technical, Mr. Smith flipped the industry narrative from can we build it to will we be allowed to use it.Then there is AUKUS, where Australia, the United States, and the United Kingdom formally initiated a trilateral project to develop unmanned undersea vehicles with an aggressive 2027 delivery target. The UUVs are designed for reconnaissance, strike, anti-submarine warfare, and protection of critical infrastructure like undersea cables, signaling that autonomy is no longer just a commercial endeavor but a core pillar of national security, though trilateral interoperability and contested deep-sea environments pose real execution risk.Episode Chapters00:00 Signal 1: Uber's European Robotaxi Strategy33:19 Signal 2: AUKUS Accelerates Unmanned Undersea Autonomy56:16 Signal 3: FedEx Freight CEO Flips the Script01:09:26 AUTNMY AIAutonomy Signals is presented by KPMG.--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: 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.
Local transportation leaders factored in how technology, sea-level rise and population growth may affect commutes, freight and public transit over the next few decades.
Ryan Joyce, Co-Founder and CEO, GenLogs joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how the intelligence community's playbook is being applied to trucking, building a ground truth layer for freight.For nearly two decades, Ryan recruited assets inside terrorist networks as a CIA case officer, validating in the physical world what sources claimed in the digital one. The trucking industry runs on the same data gap. Carriers self-report, telematics that can be modified, and bad actors claim trucks that are not on the road, with no one able to prove otherwise.GenLogs closes that gap with a nationwide network of privacy-enabled roadside cameras capturing just shy of twenty million images a day. The system uniquely fingerprints every truck in America and tracks it through changed DOT numbers, new decals, and swapped plates, exposing the chameleon carriers that burn down one identity and spin up another.That ground truth is reshaping how insurers underwrite risk, how brokers vet carriers, and how law enforcement recovers stolen freight. In one case, partial trailer data was enough to track and recover a trafficked minor. The same correlation engine now maps where every autonomous trucking company operates, which lanes they run, and whose trailers they pull.The future of freight will not be won by the operators who trust the digital record. It will be won by the operators who verify it against the ground truth.Episode Chapters00:00 From Tracking Terrorists to Tracking Trucks04:10 Building the Ground Truth Camera Network07:32 The Verification Layer for Insurance11:01 The Scale of Cargo Theft and Fraud14:16 Anomaly Detection and the Intelligence Playbook18:34 Combating Human Trafficking21:41 Fingerprinting Every Truck in America26:22 90-Day Snapshot of Six Autonomous Trucking Companies34:48 Protecting High-Value Loads41:13 The Future of GenLogs in an Autonomous Fleet45:04 AUTNMY AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 widening lead, the Ojai (Chinese-made Zeekr robotaxi) rollout's political fault lines, and the new Texas autonomous vehicle and truck database.Waymo is actively preparing to deploy a fleet of Chinese-made Zeekrs across California and Arizona, now renamed Ojai, in blue and purple states, not a red state, at least not yet. Sticking to his original call that the Zeekr is an unforced error, Grayson lays out the emerging split where Jaguars head to red states and Zeekrs head to blue and purple ones.With Magna now producing roughly 250 vehicles a month, Waymo is on pace for 6,000 cars by year-end, and Walt argues the real unlock comes when the sensor stack gets cheaper and Waymo begins to add more than 1,000 new vehicles a month on the road.In Texas, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles launched the Automated Motor Vehicle Lookup, where any member of the public can look up the fleet size of any AV operator in the state along with any complaints that might be filed.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt discussed the launch of Wayve Labs, Zoox getting an undeserved pass thanks to Amazon and BYD's willingness to compensate owners when God's Eye is engaged during an incident.Episode Chapters00:00 Waymo Deploys the Ojai06:40 Waymo Production Math08:55 Waymo's Expanding Lead15:15 Texas Automated Motor Vehicle Lookup25:00 Wayve Labs32:10 3,760 Miles Across Canada. No Interventions.36:15 Zoox Gets a Pass39:15 Foreign Autonomy Desk40:20 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 Signals presented by KPMG Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Figure AI's first commercial humanoid deployment with Catalyst Brands, Stellantis L2++ partnership with Wayve, and Starship Technologies surpassing 10 million autonomous deliveries.Figure AI recently signed a commercial agreement with Catalyst Brands to deploy humanoid robots at a JCPenney distribution center in Reno, Nevada, integrating Figure's humanoids into Catalyst's Joey Pouch sorting system.As new management at Stellantis looks to turn around the global OEM, the company is pursuing a partnership over build strategy to accelerate their expansion into the L2++ market, with a targeted launch beginning with the Jeep Grand Cherokee.Then there is Starship Technologies, which recently surpassed 10 million autonomous deliveries with 3,000 robots operating across more than 300 locations in eight countries. The company says autonomous delivery is already $3 to $4 cheaper than rider-based models, with a long-term target of $1 per drop, though sustained profitability will require lowering the teleoperator intervention rate to near zero while navigating city-by-city municipal regulation.Episode Chapters00:00 Signal 1: Figure AI Signs Commercial Agreement with Catalyst Brands18:10 Signal 2: Stellantis Partners with Wayve to Deploy L2++ in U.S.41:06 Signal 3: Starship Technologies Surpasses 10 Million Autonomous Deliveries59:13 AUTNMY AIAutonomy Signals is presented by KPMG.--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: 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.
Michael Brandt, Co-Founder and CEO, RC Mowers joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss autonomous mowers and how they unlock scale for an industry that is labor constrained.In the landscape industry, turnover is structural, the work is hard, and skilled employees tend to stay away, making this an ideal industry to deploy autonomy that unlocks scale and frees up human resources to focus on the work robots cannot do yet.The perception stack on the autonomous mowers is LiDAR-first, enabling the mowers to operate day and night with equal capability. Airport operators were the first to recognize what that unlocks, deploying autonomous mowers at night when runways close, expanding the operational window on land that never stops needing maintenance.As private equity continues to roll up the landscape industry, the use of autonomous mowers is growing as they solve the labor problem and unlock growth that the old model cannot deliver.The future of autonomy in landscaping will not be won by the operators waiting for the price to come down. It will be won by the operators who are already three years ahead, deploying autonomous mowers today and building the next generation of the landscape industry.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI00:36 Founding of RC Mowers05:56 Landscape Labor Crisis09:21 Autonomous Mower Stack11:54 Deploying Autonomous Mowers20:46 Autonomous Mowing at Airports25:47 Autonomous Mowing32:11 Private Equity Landscape Industry Roll Up38:12 Autonomy-First Landscape Company46:48 American Manufacturing in Green Bay50:54 The Future of RC Mowers--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 undisputed global lead, the growing consumer-driven shift toward supervised ADAS (Level 2++), and autonomous trucking's inflection point.After spending the week in Silicon Valley, Walt shared his on the ground observations amidst the backdrop of Waymo's noisy week where the company paused service in several cities and temporarily shut down highway access. Even though Waymo had a difficult week, the company's underlying position is unchanged, as they remain the undisputed global leader.Wayve announced a supervised L2++ point-to-point deal with Stellantis, indicating a potential pivot towards ADAS as a short-term revenue generator. Grayson views the broader growth of ADAS as being consumer-driven, with global OEMs looking to build their own version of Tesla's FSD.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt discussed London gearing up for robotaxis and the global growth of Chinese robotaxis.Episode Chapters00:00 Walt's Silicon Valley Field Report07:20 Why Tesla Won't Add LiDAR11:05 Uber's AV Labs and the Data Question13:13 ADAS Opportunity18:40 Waymo's Noisy Week23:45 London Further Opens the Door to Robotaxis26:23 Build America 250 Act29:44 Wayve x Stellantis31:34 Foreign Autonomy Desk34:44 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss the BUILD America 250 Act, XPeng's mass-produced pure vision robotaxi, and the ESA-China SMILE mission reaching orbit.House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen released the text of the BUILD America 250 Act, a bipartisan five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that includes the first-ever federal framework for autonomous trucks.The bill, if passed and signed into law in its current form, would provide regulatory preemption for autonomous trucking in the United States and authorize nearly $30 million annually through 2031 for workforce development grants.Over in China, XPeng's first mass-produced robotaxi rolled off its production line in Guangzhou. The robotaxi is built on the company's GX platform and features a pure vision system powered by their in-house Turing AI chips.Then there is the SMILE mission, a landmark collaboration between the European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences that launched on May 19 from Kourou, French Guiana, aboard a Vega-C rocket. SMILE carries the world's first space-borne soft X-ray imager and an ultraviolet aurora imager designed to observe and predict the space weather events that disrupt the global navigation satellite systems that autonomous vehicles, drones, and maritime vessels rely on for centimeter-level positioning.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI1:32 Signal 1: BUILD America 250 Act37:39 Signal 2: XPENG Pure Vision Robotaxi58:51 Signal 3: ESA/China SMILE Mission Reaches OrbitAutonomy Signals is presented by KPMG.--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: 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 newly announced expansion ahead of the World Cup, the suddenly accelerating deterioration of the Uber/Waymo relationship, and the partnerships that actually matter for Uber's autonomous future.As Waymo expanded their U.S. service area by 1,400 square miles across 11 cities, Uber continued to amplify both their direct and indirect attacks against Waymo in the media and in a self-published report about deploying autonomous vehicles.Even as the deterioration of the relationship spreads into the news, Walt notes that the divorce narrative is already largely priced into Uber's stock, but the more interesting question is what happens next with Uber's remaining partners.Nuro recently opened an engineering and partnerships office in Munich, home to BMW, with Lucid notably absent from the press release and personally-owned autonomous vehicles mentioned directly. On the WeRide earnings call, the company outlined European expansion plans including Slovakia and made the case for a unified Level 2 to Level 4 platform.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt discussed Volvo Autonomous Solutions' new Dallas-to-Houston lane and what the true definition of autonomous and what defines supervised.Episode Chapters00:00 Waymo's World Cup Expansion03:59 Waymo's Unforced Error05:08 The Waymo/Uber Divorce Narrative Goes Mainstream14:51 Nuro Opens Munich Office20:26 WeRide Eyes a Unified L2-to-L4 Platform22:47 Volvo Autonomous Solutions Dallas-to-Houston Lane23:49 What Defines Driverless31:39 Foreign Autonomy Desk32:04 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 Signals presented by KPMG, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Uber's policy play to slow the deployment of robotaxis, BYD's costly market share gain, and Unitree going sci-fi with a production-ready Mecha robot.Uber recently released a policy paper titled Unlocking the Promise of Autonomy that emphasized that the transition to autonomy should move slowly through a phased hybrid model where mixed fleets of human drivers and autonomous vehicles share the platform for years.The report appears to be a regulatory framework designed to penalize the autonomy-only business model currently being deployed by both Waymo and Tesla, positioning Uber's hybrid approach as the only socially responsible path. In what appears to be a deliberate effort to slow down robotaxi deployments until Uber and their partners catch up.Over in China, BYD updated their Seagull EV with an optional God's Eye system, a roof-mounted LiDAR with Level 2+ capabilities running on NVIDIA Drive Orin for a starting retail price of $13,000. This is the first subcompact vehicle in the world equipped with premium autonomous hardware at this price point, putting pressure on Western automakers to compete. But the price point comes at a cost, as BYD's Q1 2026 net profit dropped 55% and operating cash flow collapsed 67%.Then there is Unitree, which launched the GD01 Man Transformable Mecha, a 1,100-pound, nine-foot pilotable robot that switches between bipedal and quadruped modes. Priced at approximately $650,000, the GD01 is a calculated engineering showcase flex ahead of Unitree's anticipated Shanghai Star Market IPO targeting a $7 billion valuation.The launch of the GD01 Man Transformable Mecha signals China's ability to rapidly prototype, commercialize, and scale embodied AI hardware at a pace Western competitors are struggling to match.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI01:33 Signal 1: Uber's Policy Play to Slowdown Robotaxis36:57 Signal 2: BYD's Costly Market Share Grab55:41 Signal 3: Unitree's GD01 Man Transformable Mecha--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: 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.
Angus Pacala, Co-Founder and CEO, Ouster joined Grayson Brulte to discuss the launch of the native color REV8 LiDAR and how Ouster is positioning itself as the foundational sensing and perception layer for the physical AI economy.The LiDAR industry is currently undergoing a continual thinning out as the market shakes out and separates companies with strong marketing from those with high-quality, safety-critical products. Ouster has distinguished themselves by developing their own in-house custom silicon that delivers performance improvements historically seen in the broader semiconductor industry.The introduction of native color, developed through partnerships with Fujifilm and DxOMark, provides roboticists with synchronized color and depth, allowing for better perception in fields such as agriculture and urban navigation, where sensing the state of a stoplight or the color of a plant is essential for autonomous decision-making.With Ouster's recent acquisition of StereoLabs, the company has further expanded its reach into the humanoid and short-range robotics markets, offering a unified sensing platform that covers everything from long-range LiDAR to high-detail stereo vision.As Physical AI continues to accelerate, Ouster aims to be the sensing company for the autonomy economy.Episode Chapters0:00 AUTNMY AI0:36 Changing LiDAR Industry03:56 Introducing REV813:42 Building Trust with Safety-Critical LiDAR17:53 Why Custom Silicon is Ouster's Moat25:33 Color Science Behind REV833:28 Can Color LiDAR Replace Cameras?36:36 StereoLabs Acquisition40:07 Ouster as a Sensing Company49:46 Defense Applications52:14 Future of Ouster--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 Grayson's Las Vegas field work riding in Zoox and Motional robotaxis, Uber's earnings and the path to driver-out, and autonomous trucking earnings.The first thing Grayson did when he landed in Vegas was try to order a Zoox, but the service was not available until 11 AM and when it finally came online shortly after 11 AM, the wait time for the vehicle to arrive was 67 minutes.So he opened the Uber app and tried to order a Motional robotaxi, where he was paired with a Motional in under five minutes. During the one hour and seven minute Zoox wait time, he was able to ride down and back in two different Motional vehicles between Resorts World and the Luxor, arriving back with 21 minutes to spare.While he was in town, Grayson conducted field work at the Zoox depot where he counted more Toyota Highlander test vehicles than purpose-built Zoox robotaxis coming out of the depot. He also visited with the Nuro team at their test track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.While Grayson was busy conducting field work, Tesla crossed 10 billion FSD Supervised miles, while Uber's autonomy overhang continues as the benchmark for deploying robotaxis is driver-out, not with safety attendants.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt discussed the latest earnings from Aurora and Kodiak and what Grayson learned at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas.Episode Chapters00:00 Field Work: Motional, Zoox and Las Vegas20:57 Uber's Autonomy Overhang23:50 Discounting Uber's Partnership with Waymo26:44 Nuro and Lucid Prepare to Scale32:52 Autonomous Trucking's Presence at the ACT Expo34:41 Aurora, Kodiak Updates from Earnings37:13 Politics and Autonomous Trucking in California39:01 The No Safety Attendant Bar for Autonomous Trucking44:10 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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 Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Tesla's Unsupervised Robotaxi expansion to Dallas and Houston, Wisk Aero doubling its Gen 6 flight test fleet, and Meta's acquisition of Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI).Tesla recently launched Unsupervised Robotaxi in Houston and Dallas without chase vehicles, a structural shift from their January Austin debut where chase vehicles initially trailed the vehicles. The company's Unsupervised Robotaxi fleet has grown to north of 36 vehicles across the Austin, Dallas, and Houston markets.As Tesla continues to scale, Wisk Aero doubled their Gen 6 test fleet and successfully completed the first uncrewed flight of its second production prototype in Hollister, California. While the technical milestone is impressive, it does not shorten the regulatory distance to FAA type certification for autonomous passenger operations, a path categorically more complex than the one Joby and Archer are navigating with piloted aircraft.Then there is Meta, which acquired Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI) and folded the team into their Superintelligence Labs. This acquisition is the clearest signal yet that Meta is positioning its robotics AI models to become the Android of humanoid robotics, potentially enabling ecosystem partners to accelerate hardware deployments with an open-source operating system.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI01:31 Signal 1: Tesla Scales Unsupervised Robotaxis30:41 Signal 2: Wisk Aero Doubles Gen 6 Test Fleet50:32 Signal 3: Meta Acquires Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI)--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: 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.
Proposals to end the war in Iran could be coming soon, but President Trump has warned of escalation if Iran does not agree to those proposals. CNBC's Dan Murphy reports on the morning's major geopolitical news. The Treasury Department is considering adding stock ownership to Trump accounts for kids, and Citadel CEO Ken Griffin is expanding his firm's footprint in Miami amid a spat with NYC Mayor Mamdani. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi discusses his company's Q1 results and his vision for the platform: autonomous vehicles, delivery, and travel. Plus, Andrew recaps his conversation with JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, covering the government's role in AI innovation and competition with China. Dan Murphy - 02:30 Dara Khosrowsahi - 14:48 Steve Liesman - 31:30 In this episode: Dara Khosrowshahi, @dkhos Dan Murphy, @dan_murphy Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin Katie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Bot Auto's fully autonomous commercial run from Houston to Dallas, Aurora's expanded partnership with Hirschbach, and Uber's CTO publicly criticizing Waymo on X over safety.With Bot Auto completing a 231 mile commercial paid run with no human in the cab, no safety driver, and no observer, the conversation evolves into a deeper discussion around the imminent Waymo robotaxi moment for autonomous trucking, with Kodiak operating fully autonomous in the Permian Basin and Aurora announcing a non-binding 500 truck MOU with Hirschbach representing roughly 15 percent of the carrier's fleet.While in Houston, Grayson conducted field work riding in a Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi in the Cypress neighborhood, where he counted 24 robotaxis staged for launch at the Tesla service center, while observing that both the Tesla and Waymo vehicles drove aggressively in a similar manner to Houstonians.More signs emerged this week of the deteriorating relationship between Waymo and Uber as the CTO of Uber made a post on X accusing a Waymo of an aggressive maneuver against a Muni bus in San Francisco, a rare public criticism from a partner in a public forum, reinforcing the deteriorating relationship that appears to be on the verge of a divorce.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss China suspending new autonomous vehicle permits following the Baidu Apollo Go incident in Wuhan where 200 robotaxis simultaneously froze on March 31st, and WeRide's partnership with Lenovo to deploy 200,000 robotaxis over the next five years against a current fleet of 1,125 vehicles.Episode Chapters00:00 Field Work: Bot Auto Launches Fully Autonomous Commercial Service05:42 Aurora's Expanded Partnership with Hirschbach08:53 Congressman Ro Khanna's Anti-Autonomy Stance11:18 Uber and Hertz Partner for Robotaxi Fleet Servicing18:40 Avomo, Moove, and Uber's Fragmented Autonomy Strategy20:07 Uber CTO Publicly Criticizes Waymo on X24:13 Waymo's Next City: Cincinnati or Kansas City?27:30 Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi in Houston34:37 China Suspends New Autonomous Vehicle Permits39:14 WeRide and Lenovo to Deploy 200,000 Robotaxis40:54 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.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.
CA made it clear that SOMEONE is responsible for a driverless car - whether or not there is someone inside the car operating it. https://www.lehtoslaw.com
Why years later some California schools are finally getting money for repairs. How new rules from the California DMV will affect Waymos. And for Food Friday we'll tell you about a Peruvian burrito that broke the internet. Support The L.A. Report by donating at LAist.com/join and by visiting https://laist.comSupport the show: https://laist.com
This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss the WeRide and Lenovo autonomous vehicle partnership, Pronto's first deal under Atoms with Mariana Minerals, and Bot Auto's 231 mile driver out commercial run from Houston to Dallas.WeRide and Lenovo recently announced a five year non-binding partnership at Auto China 2026 to deploy 200,000 autonomous vehicles, a 200x scale from WeRide's current global fleet of 1,023 vehicles, with Lenovo's HPC 3.0 compute platform accelerating the growth. The HPC 3.0 platform performs under extreme temperatures with a focus on reducing emissions, signaling that the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union could be potential deployment markets.AUTNMY AI‘s proprietary OMEGA algorithm estimates fleet ownership costs between $10 and $20 billion. No funding partner or fleet owner partner has been announced to date.While WeRide and Lenovo made headlines this week, Pronto announced its first post-Atoms acquisition deal with Mariana Minerals. The mining company will deploy Pronto's autonomous haulage trucks at the Copper One mine in southeastern Utah, beginning with three trucks and scaling to fifteen by year end.Then there is Bot Auto, which made history this week as the first company to deploy an autonomous truck for paid commercial over-the-road freight on the Houston to Dallas lane. The Road to Autonomy team was on the ground to witness Bot Auto successfully complete a 231 mile fully autonomous driver-out commercial run, no human in the cab, no observer, no individual with a CDL.A field report will be released next Tuesday.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI02:00 Signal 1: WeRide and Lenovo Partner to Accelerate Autonomous Vehicle Deployments26:21 Signal 2: Pronto Deploys Autonomous Haulage Trucks with Mariana Minerals44:30 Signal 3: Bot Auto Goes Driver-Out Over-the-Road--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: 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 episode 354, we get curious about driverless cars for Dakin, June, and Parker Jay. We learn what driverless cars are, how they work, and whether they are safe. Noah joins us to share 5 unbelievable facts you need to Noah about driverless cars. Driverless Cars Survey – Fill out form Episode Topic Suggestion Form - https://forms.office.com/r/USsGWVfheH Visit the Curious Kid Podcast Website – http://www.curiouskidpodcast.com Send Us An E-mail – curiouskidpodcast@gmail.com Leave Us A Voicemail – 856-425-2324 Support Us On Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/Curiouskidpodcast Shop Curious Kid Podcast Merchandise – http://tee.pub/lic/fqXchg3wUVU Follow Us On Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/curiouskidpod/ Follow Us On Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/curiouskidpodcast/ Follow Us On Twitter – https://twitter.com/CuriousKidPod Visit Us On YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5d6HaNz_UYOaS7YuYayVwg Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In blue cities throughout the country, unions and politicians are fighting to ban driverless cars. We travel to Boston, where the fight has reached a fever pitch, and where the cars themselves will create some very unusual political alliances. (This is part two of a two part series, listen to the beginning here.) Support Search Engine! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices