The Road to Autonomy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Adrienne Gildea, Deputy Executive Director, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how CVSA developed enhanced inspections and the positive impact that they will have on roadway safety. CVSA is preparing for autonomous trucks to scale by working with the autonomous trucking industry, law enforcement and various stakeholders to develop enhanced inspections. Enhanced inspections will increase safety on the roadways as autonomous trucks will undergo rigorous “zero defect” inspections before being dispatched (or every 24 hours) and when they are on the road, the trucks will be able to communicate their inspection status to law enforcement officials in real-time.Episode Chapters0:00 Traditional Truck Inspections3:32 Weigh Stations5:31 Enhanced Inspections for Autonomous Trucks11:14 Enhanced Inspections Training Program13:20 Autonomous Trucking Regulations14:58 Law Enforcement18:37 Evolution of Enhanced Inspections21:15 CVSA's Warm Embrace of Autonomous Trucks24:03 Public Trust26:22 Autonomous Trucks Compliment Traditional Trucks28:21 Human Trafficking29:51 Truck Parking Shortage33:33 Preparing for Change35:19 Future of Autonomous Trucking--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what’s coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

Peter Ludwig, CTO & Co-Founder and Jason Brown, General Manager-Government, Applied Intuition joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the company’s acquisition of EpiSci and how they are developing all-domain autonomy solutions for defense applications.In December 2024, Applied Intuition acquired EpiSci to accelerate the growth of its defense business. The acquisition expands Applied Intuition’s offerings into maritime and aerial applications, creating strong synergies across the entire portfolio of products and tools. With a 90% overlap in advanced simulation and tooling technologies, Applied Intuition is accelerating the development of autonomy applications. By adding maritime and aerial capabilities, Applied Intuition is enabling the development of all-domain autonomy, spanning ground, aerial, and maritime systems that can be deployed in contested and peace time environments.Recorded on Wednesday, February 19, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 Applied Intuition’s Defense Business 3:45 Encrypted Communications 6:31 Applied Intuition Tooling8:39 EpiSci Acquisition12:23 Maritime Autonomy18:42 Flight Autonomy 33:27 Threat Mitigation 34:53 Secure Data35:54 What’s Next for Applied Intuition--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Autonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what’s coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discus Waymo’s launch in Austin, Alphabet’s strong commitment to Waymo and Hyundai’s robotaxi ambitions. On March 5, Waymo launched exclusively on the Uber app in Austin. However, riders cannot guarantee a Waymo vehicle, as there is no dedicated Waymo tier in the app. This lack of certainty could dilute the premium Waymo experience, as users do not know what type of vehicle they will be paired with when ordering a ride.As Waymo scales its operations globally, Hyundai is emerging as a major player in the robotaxi market. This week, Avride announced a partnership with Hyundai to develop a fully integrated robotaxi, with the first vehicles set to enter service this year in Dallas.Texas is emerging hub for autonomy for both robotaxis and autonomous trucks. Next month, Aurora will begin commercial driver-out operations from Dallas, followed by Bot Auto in Houston later this year. Autonomy is now becoming a business.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo Experience on Uber7:01 Uber’s Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Management Strategy9:29 Lyft’s Flexdrive12:17 Waymo’s Jaguar I-PACE Fleet14:46 Waymo Zeekr Robotaxi16:51 Alphabet’s Commitment to Waymo20:26 Waymo’s Pending Silver Lake / Los Feliz LA Expansion22:02 Autonomy Markets Nicknames23:16 Waymo’s Mysterious San Francisco X Post24:24 Walt’s Waymo Analysis25:46 Avride / Hyundai Robotaxi Partnership29:43 Bot Auto‘s Driver-Out Plans33:54 Wayve Expands to Germany35:56 Unforced Error of The Week38:20 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, March 7, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dean Foreman, Chief Economist, Texas Oil & Gas Association joined Grayson Brulte on The Autonomy Economy podcast to discuss the current state the U.S. economy and the global oil and natural gas markets.Consumer debt in the U.S. is rising and that could have potential impacts on GDP. While the economic picture in the U.S. is uncertain at the moment, global oil demand is projected to reach 104.1 million barrels per day this year. Demand is partly being driven by emerging markets. Then there is Texas, which continues to export oil to the world, while having a $720 billion impact on GDP. Texas is not just an oil state anymore, even though 30% of the state’s private sector is employed by the oil and natural gas industry, it is now becoming a high-tech state as it has begun to integrate AI, automation and autonomy into the sector’s operations. Recorded on Monday, February 24, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 Health of the U.S. Consumer 5:57 Liquid Natural Gas Market 11:00 Data Centers15:32 European Gas18:51 U.S. Oil Imports 24:45 Heavy Crude26:53 Growing Global Oil Demand & Geopolitics 29:50 Permian Basin 33:34 Impact of the Oil & Natural Gas Industry on Texas' Economy35:29 Quarterly Outlook--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gavin Jackson, CEO of Oxa joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Oxa’s approach to autonomy—universal autonomy. Oxa specializes in industrial mobility applications within repetitive environments such as airports, ports, and logistics hubs, where driving patterns are predictable. When Oxa deployed autonomous vehicles at Heathrow Airport in partnership with DHL, productivity increased by 33% when compared to traditional human drivers.By focusing on efficiency and scalability, Oxa is proving that autonomy drives productivity—reinforcing its mission to develop and commercialize universal autonomy.Recorded on Friday, February 7, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 Oxa’s Approach to Autonomy5:05 AI Models18:52 Oxa’s Path to Profitability21:56 Heathrow Airport / DHL Partnership27:13 Industrial Mobility Automation30:36 BP Partnership33:22 Autonomy for Security38:17 Oxa’s Business Model43:31 Global Growth46:09 Autonomous Trucking48:23 Future of Oxa--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss why Waymo needs fewer robotaxis than you think and Tesla’s emerging plans for a robotaxi network in California.Waymo continues to scale, surpassing 200,000 paid weekly rides across Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. As the service grows, a group of power riders has emerged, including one rider in San Francisco spending over $900 a month on Waymo rides.In California, Waymo now operates a fleet over 730 autonomous vehicles, while Tesla currently operates zero. That is about to change as Tesla has applied for a transportation charter-party carrier permit from the California Public Utilities Commission, the same permit Waymo currently operates under. If Tesla secures the permit, it will be able to launch a robotaxi service in California, but with two major caveats—fleets and safety drivers. At launch, Tesla owners won’t be able to add their vehicles to the network.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo’s Growing Weekly Paid Rides3:23 Waymo’s Fleet Efficiency 9:10 Waymo Power Users12:01 Waymo’s Consistent Rider Experience 15:17 Tesla Launches Full Self-Driving (FSD) in China16:30 Tesla’s Pending California Robotaxi Network 19:58 Tesla / Waymo Competition 22:24 Tesla Will Not License FSD26:00 Autonomous Vehicle Policy28:55 Wall Street’s View on Autonomy32:04 Unforced Error of The Week36:30 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, February 27, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Angus Pacala, Co-Founder & CEO, Ouster joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Ouster’s digital LiDAR technology is “enabling autonomy for everything” across traffic control systems, security, robotics, and autonomous vehiclesFounded in 2015 with a vision of “autonomy for everything,” Ouster has emerged as the largest Western providers of LiDAR, differentiating itself through its digital LiDAR architecture. With a diversified approach across multiple markets, Ouster has positioned themselves strongly to befit from the growth of automation.Recorded on Tuesday, February 4, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of the LiDAR Market2:06 Autonomy for Everything 5:48 Ouster’s LiDAR Technology 10:37 Full Stack Autonomy Integrator 12:29 Blue City / LiDAR for Infrastructure 21:51 Gemini / LiDAR for Security 27:14 LiDAR for Robotics 30:02 Safety Certified LiDAR35:25 Industrial Robotics 41:16 Autonomous Vehicle and Truck Market47:00 Defense Market49:20 Ouster’s Largest Growth Market 51:54 Future of Ouster--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Lyft’s autonomous vehicle manifesto, the impending consolidation of the LiDAR market, the emerging personally-owned autonomous vehicle fleet market, and Waabi’s driver-out strategy.Lyft’s manifesto highlights the potential for private car owners to integrate their personally-owned autonomous vehicles into the Lyft network, a concept similar to Elon Musk’s vision for Tesla owners. For this to become a reality and for autonomous vehicles to scale effectively, a national regulatory framework is essential.During his Senate confirmation hearing for Deputy Secretary of Transportation this week, Steven Bradbury expressed enthusiasm for autonomous vehicles and advocated for a federal framework. Mr. Bradbury also emphasized a market-driven approach to technology adoption, rather than government-mandated solutions such as LiDAR.Currently, the LiDAR market is dominated by Hesai, but consolidation looms a majority of the publicly-traded pure-play LiDAR companies face dwindling cash reserves and limited revenues.In the autonomous trucking market, Waabi aims to go driver-out on public roads by the end of the year. But can they pull it off? And if Volvo isn’t their OEM partner, who will be? Grayson and Walt debate the challenges ahead and the role of autonomous driving retrofit kits in the industry’s future.Episode Chapters0:00 Lyft’s Autonomous Vehicle Manifesto5:39 Personally-Owned Autonomous Vehicles11:22 Fleet Management16:11 Waymo / Lyft Relationship18:05 Credit Card and Telco Partnerships20:10 May Mobility, Mobileye / Lyft Partnership22:02 Autonomous Vehicle Policy24:41 LiDAR Market31:05 Waabi Driver-Out Plans39:52 Autonomous Driving Technology47:04 Unforced Error of The Week49:08 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, February 20, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Finch Fulton, Government Affairs and Public Policy Advisor, K&L Gates joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss autonomous vehicle policy under the Trump administration, China’s technological threat, and the path to establishing a national autonomous vehicle framework.A national framework is essential to provide regulatory certainty for investors, unlocking billions in new investments while accelerating job creation and driving economic growth in the U.S.As investors seek stability, China continues to expand its global technology exports. From ByteDance and TikTok to the recent launch of DeepSeek and the development of robotaxis, China’s aggressive export strategy raises concerns about its broader objectives.To counter this, the U.S. must implement a national autonomous vehicle framework that enables the domestic scaling of autonomous vehicles and trucks. Without it, China will maintain its competitive edge and continue advancing its global export agenda.Recorded on Friday, January 31, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 Trump's Impact on Autonomy3:15 American Leadership on Autonomy5:58 Autonomy Czar7:13 China18:05 Tech Policy23:01 Autonomous Vehicle & Truck Policy37:40 Autonomous Vehicle & Truck Policy Outlook--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Walt’s recent trip to San Francisco, where he observed more aggressive driving from Waymo vehicles and spotted a FasTrak transponder—hinting that the great highway unlock is imminent.In the markets, Aurora and Lyft reported earnings, with Aurora’s market cap soaring to $17 billion—triple Lyft’s $5 billion. On its earnings call, Aurora emphasized its driver-out readiness and their hardware kit approach, mirroring Kodiak’s SensorPods. If hardware kits are the future of autonomy, power could shift from OEMs to autonomous driving developers, opening new market opportunities and validating Kodiak’s OEM-agnostic strategy.And then there’s NVIDIA. What if they acquired an autonomous driving developer and vertically integrated? How would the market respond? What would it mean for chip sales? As fragmentation grows in the autonomous vehicle market, so does Uber’s advantage. Opportunity abounds.Episode Chapters0:00 Walt’s San Francisco Trip1:54 Hesai LiDAR6:19 Waymo’s More Assertive Driving7:37 Should we be Concerned about Zoox?13:08 Aurora Earnings16:43 Autonomous Driving Hardware Kits21:43 Should NVIDIA Vertically Integrate an Autonomous Driving Stack?26:24 Nuro’s Licensing Opportunity30:29 Uber’s Next Autonomy Partner—May Mobility?33:50 Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Management & Financing38:00 DoorDash’s Autonomous Delivery Ambitions40:57 Next WeekRecorded on Saturday, February 15, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Shahrukh Kazmi, Chief Product Officer, Volvo Autonomous Solutions joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the company’s comprehensive approach to building an autonomous transport-as-a-service business. Volvo is leveraging its decades of trucking expertise to develop a new business model that is built around an autonomous truck. Instead of selling the truck, Volvo Autonomous Solutions is going to own the asset and operate the autonomous transport-as-a-service business. This approach will allow Volvo Autonomous Solutions to maintain control over the ecosystem, understand customer pain points directly, and ensure safety standards are met consistently. With control, Volvo Autonomous Solutions is poised to scale quickly. Recorded on Thursday, January 30, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 Volvo Autonomous Solutions Approach to Autonomous Trucking4:46 Volvo’s VNL Platform7:27 Virtual Drivers11:04 Aurora Partnership13:57 Transport-as-a-Service19:24 VNL Autonomous Platform30:20 Mining and Quarries35:47 Competitive Advantages36:46 Building For The Future--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk break down Uber’s Q4 earnings, highlighting their five keys for success in autonomy: regulation, superhuman safety, cost-effective hardware, fleet management, and high utilization. They also discuss Waymo’s continued expansion and Ford’s willingness to license an SAE Level 4 autonomous system.With Uber scaling fleet operations and Foxconn emerging as a potential Nissan partner, could a Foxconn-Nissan collaboration lead to licensing an autonomous driving system, selling vehicles to a REIT, and deploying them on Uber’s network? Watch to gather Grayson and Walter’s insights into the emerging world of autonomous vehicle licensing.Episode Chapters0:00 Traditional Automotive’s Struggles with Software and Innovation 5:43 Uber Q4 2024 Earnings8:00 Autonomous Vehicle REIT13:20 Uber’s Fleet Inventory 17:15 Uber’s Five Keys for Autonomous Vehicle Success 32:36 Uber and Waymo’s Historical Relationship 34:06 Waymo Fleet Expansion 37:33 Foxconn 41:09 Ford to License an Autonomous Driving System?43:14 Waabi49:27 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, February 6, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Xiaodi Hou, Founder & CEO of Bot Auto joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how DeepSeek is transforming AI development and its potential impact on autonomous driving.Dr. Hou views DeepSeek as an engineering breakthrough rather than a scientific one—challenging traditional approaches to AI model development. Unlike many companies in the field, DeepSeek has shown that powerful models can be created by optimizing systems and creatively managing resource constraints.There are strong parallels between DeepSeek’s approach and Bot Auto’s strategy of being scrappy and cost-effective. This “DeepSeek moment” could mark a turning point for autonomous driving, where commercialization and efficiency become the primary drivers of technological advancement.Recorded on Monday, February 3, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 DeepSeek9:35 Resources Needed to Build an Autonomous Driving Model (Pre-DeepSeek)15:44 Open-Source LLMs23:54 Prioritization 26:08 Building the Bot Auto Autonomous Driving Model33:37 Miles Driven and Autonomous Driving Models--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discussed Tesla’s Q4 earnings, Waymo’s road trip and Kodiak’s historical announcement. It was Tesla this week that captured investors attention as Elon Musk spoke at length about Tesla’s robotaxi plans, licensing FSD and their plans to launch an Airbnb like service for autonomy. Will Tesla really hit the June 2025 timeline for unsupervised autonomy in Austin, Texas? Anything is possible, but the precedent is that the launch will be delayed, along with a potential nationwide expansion in 2026. Then there is the potential to license FSD (Full Self-Driving), will Tesla really do it and what will the impact be on the global auto industry? As Tesla works towards full autonomy (unsupervised), Waymo continues to expand. This week Waymo announced that they are taking roadtrips to 10+ markets beginning with San Diego and Las Vegas this year, along with opening the Atlanta market to employees. Additionally, Waymo began offering highway service to employees in Los Angeles.Then there is Kodiak, which made history this week, becoming the first company to sell an autonomous truck to a third party—Atlas Energy. The episode concludes with discussion of Zoox’s challenges in the competitive autonomous vehicle market, particularly in Las Vegas and San Francisco.Episode Chapters0:00 Secretary Sean Duffy2:59 Washington Post: If Self-Driving Cars are Safer than the Alternative, What’s to Lose?7:02 Tesla Q4 2024 Earnings 9:28 FSD Unsupervised Launch13:58 Capital Markets & Analysts 16:48 LiDAR Narrative 21:30 Licensing Tesla FSD26:20 FSD is Coming to Semi28:51 Kodiak Makes History 31:28 Tesla Cortex Training Cluster32:32 Waymo Goes Fully Autonomous on LA Freeways (Employees Only)35:21 Waymo Opens Atlanta to Employees37:29 Waymo’s 10 City Road Trip41:06 Zoox45:06 Super Bowl46:09 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, January 30, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pete Bigelow, Senior Reporter, Automotive News and Sergey Litvinenko, Co-Founder & CEO of Koop joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the insurance challenges surrounding SAE Level 3 vehicles and how the insurance requirements will change with higher levels of automation. In this in-depth discussion, Grayson, Pete and Sergey explore the complex landscape of Level 3 semi-autonomous vehicles and their associated liability challenges. The conversation delves into why major automakers such as GM and Ford have retreated from developing full self-driving systems to instead focus on driver assistance systems. In the long-term, this could prove to be a costly mistake.During the discussion they also spoke about the emerging complexities of insuring robotaxis in Las Vegas and how the “Vegas risk” could impact underwriting. Recorded on Wednesday, January 22, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 Scaling Level 36:10 Not All Level 3 Systems are Equal8:43 Underwriting Level 312:45 In-Cabin Monitoring / Driver Responsibility15:33 Who’s Responsible in the Event of a Crash?17:11 Can Consumers Tell a Level 2 system from a Level 3 system?22:08 Why Would an OEM Invest in Level 3?26:55 Level 4 Licensing Liability30:09 Foldable Wheel33:30 Open Container in Robotaxis41:10 Robotaxi Liability44:33 National Autonomous Vehicle Framework47:44 Autonomy Market Outlook--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk explored the potential impacts of President Trump's administration on the autonomous vehicle and truck industries. With tensions brewing between labor interests and technology companies, the hosts analyzed who might ultimately gain ground from a policy perspective.At Davos, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said autonomous vehicle technology will be ready for primetime within two years, but not commercially viable for a decade—potentially a strategic move to control the autonomy narrative ahead of their February 5th earnings report. Is this a hedge or a genuine assessment of the autonomous vehicle landscape? Only time will tell.Episode Chapters0:00 Trump's Back2:38 Autonomous Vehicle Policy and Who Matters8:17 Elon vs O'Brien and The Teamsters12:38 U.S. vs China17:57 Inceptio Technology IPO22:55 Dara Khosrowshahi AV Comments at Davos28:25 Tesla FSD Two Lane Highway Exit31:21 Rising Insurance Costs for Uber in LA33:44 Waymo Growth Projections37:21 Next WeekRecorded on Saturday, January 23, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO, Torc joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Torc is preparing to launch commercial operations in Texas.Torc’s strategic relocation from Albuquerque to Fort Worth, Texas was a move that aligned with changing market dynamics. The regulatory environment combined with a growing demand for freight movement, makes Texas the ideal market to launch s commercial autonomous trucking operations.Looking ahead to 2027, Torc plans to launch commercial autonomous trucking operations in Texas. When the service is launched, customers will purchase autonomous-ready Cascadias from Freightliner, own the asset and subscribe to Torc’s virtual driver service.Recorded on Tuesday, January 14, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 Torc Moves from Albuquerque to Texas4:37 Autonomous-Ready Cascadias8:57 Preparing for Driver-Out Operations11:01 Torc’s Perception System12:22 From a Robotics Stack to an AI Stack15:26 Autonomous Truck Policy17:08 AI’s Is Accelerating Torc’s Commercial Launch20:32 Scaling Commercial Operations22:39 Buying an Autonomous Truck Powered by Torc24:24 Torc Business Model30:07 Autonomous Truck Maintenance34:09 Capital Allocation Strategy37:21 Outside Capital39:44 Additional OEMs41:05 Waymo43:29 Autonomous Trucking Market45:17 Torc Outlook--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk headed to Washington, D.C. where they attended an event held by The Council for Economic Resilience that focused on the future of autonomous vehicle and truck policy. With President Trump being sworn into office next week, there is an opportunity to usher in the golden age of autonomy. To usher in the golden age of autonomy, there has to be a national autonomous vehicle framework that includes trucks weighing over 10,001 pounds. Grayson and Walt discuss what it might take for that to become a reality and the role that China could potentially play in accelerating that effort. Episode Chapters0:00 The Council for Economic Resilience DC Event2:05 Congressman Duffy’s Transportation Secretary Confirmation Hearing 4:04 Optimism in DC 9:09 Rising Insurance Costs11:01 The NYC Unlock for Autonomous Vehicles 14:27 Autonomy Politics 22:10 TikTok / Trump Inauguration25:16 Chinese Autonomous Vehicles in the U.S. 30:03 Zeekr: Waymo’s Unforced Error33:41 Does Waymo Need more OEM partners?35:49 Pony AI39:01 Next WeekRecorded on Saturday, January 19, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief, Bloomberg joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Waymo won the robotaxi race as Detroit walked away two times.There are major shifts happening in the autonomous vehicle industry as Waymo scales up operations and Tesla prepares to introduce the Cybercab. At CES last week, Jensen Huang, Co-founder & CEO of NVIDIA highlighted autonomous vehicles multi-trillion dollar potential.As Waymo and Tesla have accelerated, traditional automakers have largely abandoned their in-house autonomous vehicle development programs. Ford shutdown Argo AI and GM shutdown Cruise, potentially opening the door for companies such as Wayve and Nuro that are pursuing a licensing model. Then there is May Mobility which is emerging as an interesting player in the autonomous vehicle industry, with strong relationships Toyota and NTT, along a planned expansion with Lyft in Atlanta. By the end of 2025, the robotaxi market could look completely different.Recorded on Tuesday, January 7, 2025Episode Chapters0:00 2025 Autonomy Market Outlook2:53 Did GM Pull the Plug on Cruise Too Soon?9:23 Zoox IPO?10:52 Could Amazon Integrate Zoox into Prime?12:03 Waymo 2025 Outlook14:21 Does Uber Need a Fragmented Market to Win in Robotaxis?15:27 Rename Robotaxis, America Taxis17:30 Waymo in NYC?20:40 Will a National Autonomous Vehicle Framework Spur Investments?23:31 May Mobility28:55 Tesla Robotaxi33:30 Vision Only35:24 AI37:12 Detroit’s Autonomy Strategy--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss how the momentum has shifted in the autonomous vehicle and truck industries after NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang declared it will become the first multi-trillion dollar robotics industry at CES 2025. While the momentum shift has been significant, legacy OEMs are facing headwinds and long-term challenges as Ford shutdown Argo AI, GM shutdown Cruise and VW continues to struggle with software. Then there is Uber and their robotaxi headwinds. Does Uber have to become the “everything app” to survive? There are a lot of questions to be answered as the autonomy markets enter 2025 including business models, regulation, and public acceptance.Episode Chapters0:00 CES 20254:39 Autonomous Trucking Policy7:21 Waymo Zeekr Robotaxi 11:50 What is the Meaning of Launching in a Market?13:28 Autonomous Vehicle Components 18:12 Legacy OEMs and Ubers Role in Autonomy26:32 Aurora’s Warning Triangle Petition 29:02 Viewer Question: Who Buys Uber and Lyft?33:04 Uber, the Everything App?34:49 CES 2025 Key Takeaways 37:50 CES 202640:07 Waymo as a Getaway Car42:03 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, January 10, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Michael Morris, Director of Transportation, North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and Nick Konen, Director of Strategic Development, Hillwood joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Texas is building the future of autonomous freight and supply chains. AllianceTexas Smart Port in North Texas represents a groundbreaking vision for the future of freight and logistics, combining advanced infrastructure with automation and autonomy. Located at one of America’s largest inland ports, the development features 60 million square feet of existing warehouse space, with another 60 million planned over the next 30 years. The project leverages unique assets including the Alliance Airport handling 2.1 billion pounds of cargo annually, BNSF’s intermodal facility moving a million containers yearly, and strategic placement along I-35. Through a $80 million federal grant and $96 million in private investment, the Smart Port is implementing dedicated truck lanes, advanced sensor networks, and infrastructure designed for autonomous trucks.Recorded on Thursday, December 19, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 AllianceTexas Smart Port3:11 Planning for Growth8:27 Texas Innovation15:40 Warehouse Automation18:58 Roadway Sensors24:04 Dedicated Autonomous Truck Lanes30:10 Automation Jobs34:31 Freight Tunnels36:57 Apprenticeships 41:12 Economic Impact of AllianceTexas Smart Port46:27 Future of Autonomy & Automation in North Texas--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the first episode of Autonomy Markets in 2025, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the ever-evolving landscape of autonomous vehicles and the growth of big tech. Waymo’s technical advancements and steady expansion made the company the clear leader in robotaxis in 2024. While Waymo cemented their role as the leader in robotaxis, Tesla is nipping at their heels as the company prepares to introduce a robotaxi service with the Cybercab. As Waymo and Tesla advanced in 2024, investors fears in Uber’s robotaxi strategy only escalated.While investors fear Uber’s robotaxi prospects, investors cheered when GM shutdown Cruise. Was this the right move? Or this another example of traditional automakers being unable to innovate a create new tech forward products? All this and more on this week’s edition of Autonomy Markets. Episode Chapters0:00 2025 Autonomy Markets Outlook7:21 Share Buybacks 9:07 Traditional Automotive OEMs 15:07 Leaning into The Future17:45 Tesla Q4 2024 Deliveries 18:35 Tesla FSD (Full Self-Driving) Take Rates22:25 Tesla Cybertruck/Trump Hotel Attack25:21 Elon Musk’s Focus on Policy27:36 Beijing Gives Green Light to Autonomous Vehicles 30:46 Autonomy M&A34:11 MAG 735:56 Waymo37:32 Warning Triangles 42:19 CES 2025Recorded on Friday, January 3, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Liu, CEO & Co-Founder, Plus joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Plus’ global vision for autonomous trucking.Plus is taking a global approach to autonomous trucking as a technology enabler rather than a fleet operator with three global OEM partnerships with Traton Group, Hyundai Commercial Vehicle, and IVECO. These partnerships are enabling Plus to focus solely on building a virtual driver, while the partners develop and build the physical truck. Currently Plus is testing their autonomous driving software in the United States, Sweden, and Japan as they prepare for commercial operations in 2027 with their OEM partners. Recorded on Wednesday, December 18, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Founding of Plus2:55 Is 2025 The Year Autonomy Goes Mainstream?5:24 Plus / Traton Partnership 7:06 Plus / Hyundai Commercial Vehicle Partnership8:38 Partnership Development 12:09 Global Testing, Development and Operations14:54 Data Models17:06 Low Power / Small On-Board Hardware23:53 Vision Only27:28 Redundancy 29:53 Developing and Maintaining Trust 32:49 Plus Business Model36:17 Advancements in AI 41:09 Future of Plus--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla FSD 13, autonomous trucking’s regularity roadblocks and Waymo’s path to offering service at theSan Francisco International (SFO) Airport. Tesla’s FSD 13 is as a major technical leap forward. While we have been impressed with its more natural driving style and improved responsiveness to traffic flow, it’s not ready for deployment on the Cybercab. Later the conversation shifts to recent government actions affecting the autonomous vehicle industry, including the Biden administration’s denial of warning triangle exemptions for autonomous trucks and the introduction of AVSTEP, a new voluntary reporting framework from NHTSA. The podcast concludes with an analysis of Waymo’s potential expansion to San Francisco International Airport and broader implications for autonomous vehicle deployments. Episode Chapters0:00 Tesla FSD 1315:21 Cybercab / FSD Driver-Out Predictions 19:09 FMCSA Warning Triangle Exemptions 26:33 AV STEP33:20 DOGE35:24 Scaling Autonomous Vehicles in China38:35 Waymo is One Step Closer to SFO Deployment 41:24 Waymo on Highways and Future Airport Deployments 46:41 Light Mapping / No Mapping Approach to Autonomy47:26 2025 OutlookRecorded on Saturday December 28, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pete Bigelow, Senior Reporter, Automotive News joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Detroit’s future in autonomy. When GM shutdown Cruise, did they end Detroit’s autonomous future?GM has a pattern of getting to the one-yard line and fumbling with innovations like the EV1, skateboard architecture and now Cruise. As the fundamental challenges facing legacy automakers only increase, is Detroit on the verge of becoming Foxconn City?GM’s decision making has direct parallels to IBM’s decline in tech innovation. Could GM be following the same path as IBM? Only time will tell, but serious questions remain about GM and Detroit’s ability to compete in an increasingly software-driven, autonomous automotive future.Recorded on Monday, December 16, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Detroit’s Future in Autonomy5:22 Dan Ammann’s Cruise Strategy9:49 December 16, 202412:22 Autonomy Tailwinds14:20 User/Driver Experiences17:37 Does Detroit Become Foxconn City?19:58 Is GM Afraid of Change?29:22 Is GM the new IBM?35:30 Could Waymo License the Origin from GM?39:47 Economics of Autonomous Vehicle Rides41:57 LiDAR Market45:04 Human in the Loop--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Apple’s potential return to the robotaxi market through Foxconn. If Foxconn is successful in acquiring Nissan, it would create a path for Apple to re-enter the autonomous vehicle sector. Rather than building their own autonomous driving system from the ground-up, Apple could partner with Wayve to power the autonomous system, while Foxconn could be the contract manufacturer to build the vehicle. This approach would mirror Apple’s historical approach of gradually developing in-house capabilities while initially relying on partners, as they did with iPhone modems and chips. Additionally this week, Waymo announced a road trip to Japan and Uber continues to develop their fleet strategy.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo Heads to Japan2:39 Waymo’s Zeekr Dilemma 6:52 Masayoshi Son / Softbank8:21 Could Apple Return to Autonomous Vehicles with Foxconn?17:51 Uber’s Fleet Ambitions 23:36 Are Uber’s Robotaxi Fears Overblown?30:15 Pony AI’s Projected China Market Growth32:41 Autonomous Vehicle Policy36:36 Kodiak Deploys an Autonomous F-150 in the Snow38:22 Next WeekRecorded on Wednesday, December 18, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Edwin Olson, Co-Founder & CEO, May Mobility joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss May Mobility’s strategic expansion into Japan through partnerships with Toyota and NTT and their plans to launch with Lyft in Atlanta in 2025.May Mobility is focused on creating scalable, low-power autonomous vehicles that are profitable. One of the keys to May Mobility’s success so far has been their multi-policy decision making (MPDM) system that runs on the edge, primarily with CPUs instead of GPUs, requiring less compute power.Recorded on Tuesday, December 10, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 May Mobility in Japan3:11 May Mobility’s Approach to Autonomous Driving7:23 Autonomous Driving Models (LLMs)10:56 On-board Compute14:23 Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM)20:46 Japan Deployments 24:25 Simulation 26:16 MPDM on the Edge29:12 Scaling May Mobility34:57 Passenger Experience42:24 Atlanta Expansion / Lyft Partnership48:50 Freeways52:33 Future of May Mobility--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the dramatic turn of events that led GM to abruptly shut down Cruise, just days before a planned driver-out launch in Houston. The decision made by CEO Mary Barra, reportedly stems from fears of another incident.With the decision to pull the plug on Cruise, GM burnt $9 billion of investment dollars with nothing to show for it. The Cruise shutdown highlights the ongoing challenges of how traditional automakers are approaching autonomy. As traditional automakers falter, Waymo and Tesla continue to accelerate as the market is beginning to consolidate around them as the leaders in robotaxis.As we look to 2025, more consolidation is likely on the way, with Daimler Truck potentially scaling back their in-house autonomous trucking program (Torc Robotics). Then there is Uber which is struggling to define their autonomy narrative to the market. What moves do they make to calm market jitters?Episode Chapters0:00 GM Pulls the Plug on Cruise7:57 Uber & Lyft in the Era of Autonomy16:47 Zoox and Amazon. What is the Path Forward?22:45 Could Daimler Truck Follow GM and Shutter Torc Robotics?29:25 Amazon and Autonomy31:06 Walmart32:15 Cybercab in 2026?33:10 Aurora33:51 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, December 12, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Andrew Chapin, Chief Operating Officer, Nuro joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Nuro’s bold pivot to licensing their autonomous driving stack instead of scaling their autonomous robot delivery business. As part of the strategic pivot, Nuro has developed the Nuro Driver, which can drive on surface streets and is designed to be adaptable across multiple vehicle platforms. Nuro’s strategy centers on licensing its autonomous driving technology to mobility service platforms, OEMs, and potential fleet operators, with a focus on North America. By remaining an independent company, Nuro aims to provide flexibility in tailoring solutions to customer needs and maintaining capital efficiency. The company expects to power robotaxis, delivery services, and L2+ to L3 autonomous systems in the coming years.Recorded on Tuesday, December 3, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Nuro’s Pivot to Licensing 4:36 Advantages of Being Independent 7:08 Capital Allocation10:42 Nuro Licensing Model 15:51 Could More Autonomy Companies Pivot to Licensing?17:44 Nuro Driver ODD21:01 Driver-Out on Highways23:31 Nuro Vehicle Platforms 27:53 Scaling Nuro’s Licensing Business 32:32 Insurance + Validation 35:41 Future of Nuro--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's expansion to Miami, Uber and Lyft's future in the era of autonomy and Tesla's releases of FSD 13.Waymo is expanding to Miami in 2025 without one of their partners—Uber. Instead, Waymo chose Moove as their fleet management partner. Could this signal something more broad, as Moove is also taking over the fleet management operations for Waymo in Phoenix?Tesla released Full Self-Driving (FSD) 13.2 this week and it appears to have lived up with the hype with Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai acknowledging that he currently views Waymo and Tesla as the two leaders in the development and commercialization of autonomous vehicles.Episode Chapters0:00 Football0:38 Waymo Expands to Miami + Impact on Uber Partnership10:43 Uber and Lyft in the Era of Autonomy16:31 Fleet Management for Autonomous Vehicles26:17 Tesla FSD 1333:13 Waymo vs Tesla / WholeMarsBlog Ride Comparison36:59 Scaling the Tesla Cybercab40:25 Tesla Delaware Judge Ruling42:30 May Mobility Expands in Japan45:49 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, December 5, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/Order your very own Make Autonomy Great Hat here: https://store.roadtoautonomy.com/products/make-autonomy-great-hatSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tim Bucher, Co-Founder & CEO, Agtonomy joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how autonomy, AI and robotics can solve the global food crisis. There is a global food shortage that is only projected to grow because of labor concerns. In 2023, over 281.6 million people in 59 countries faced high levels of acute food insecurity. Autonomy, AI and robotics can solve this by ensuring that farmers can continue to farm amidst the backdrop of a severe labor shortages, rising wages and the declining interest of younger generations in farming.Agtonomy is addressing these critical challenges in agriculture by scaling autonomy on farms in a cost efficient manner to farmers globally. Recorded on Tuesday, November 19, 2024Episode Chapters0:00 Agtonomy’s Approach to Autonomy on Farms3:36 Tractors4:36 Productivity Increases from Autonomy on Farms 10:16 Attracting Farm Talent 15:37 Deploying Autonomy on Farms19:50 Precision Ag 21:57 Deploying Agtonomy on Farms25:27 Computer Vision and Sensors29:35 The Opportunity to Deploy Autonomy on Farms34:33 Agtonomy’s Approach to the Market41:16 New Verticals for Agtonomy44:51 Future of Automation on Farms--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week Tesla unveiled their fleet API which could be a precursor to Tesla introducing a Cybercab service with 3rd party fleet operators. The company also begun the process of strategically positioning Cybercabs in showrooms, malls around the world and at high-profile events such as Art Basel in Miami. Tesla is effectively using these displays as a form of brand advertising.While brand advertising builds interest, IPOs launch companies. This week, Pony AI went public raising $260 million and achieving a market capitalization of over $4 billion, despite having relatively low revenue. Pony AI is currently trading at 60 times revenue with a primary focus on the Chinese market. This approach could potentially have geopolitical implications as the company grows. Episode Chapters0:00 Pony AI IPO8:46 Tesla API for Fleets13:22 Cybercab16:21 Tesla Brand Advertising21:07 Does Waymo Need Brand Activations? 23:04 EV Politics 26:03 New Mexico's Changing AV Regulations 28:27 FTC29:33 xAI33:31 Waymo LA Crash36:43 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, November 29, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Daniel Goff, Director of External Affairs, Kodiak joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss what the autonomous trucking industry needs from Washington, D.C. in order to scale commercial operations. Autonomous trucking regulations are often misunderstood. Contrary to popular belief, the legal and policy frameworks for deploying autonomous trucks on U.S. roadways are more advanced than many assume. The necessary regulatory elements are already in place, allowing for immediate deployment and scaling of autonomous trucks. While the necessary regulatory elements are already in place, what does the autonomous trucking industry need from Washington, D.C. to have regularity certainty? Tune in to find out. Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of Autonomous Trucking Regulations 3:58 Investor Thoughts on Autonomous Trucking Regulations 6:11 Public’s Perspective on Autonomous Trucks and Vehicles 10:17 Human Trafficking 13:02 Law Enforcement Interaction 20:22 Federal Autonomous Vehicle Framework30:59 National Security Issues 33:41 Tech and Labor Tensions 40:15 Autonomous Trucks in California 44:00 2025 OutlookRecorded on Monday, November 25, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A significant shift in autonomous vehicle policy appears imminent with President-elect Trump’s plans to implement a national autonomous vehicle framework. Key cabinet appointments, including Congressman Duffy for Transportation Secretary and Pam Bondi for Attorney General, signal strong support for autonomy. The incoming administration is strategically positioning pro-autonomy officials, with the America First Policy Institute playing a crucial role in policy implementation. Regulatory clarity could accelerate autonomous vehicle deployment across state lines and investment, though bureaucratic resistance within the Department of Transportation and NHTSA remains a concern.The market implications of these developments are already evident, with Altimeter Capital’s Brad Gerstner selling his entire Uber position due the growing competition Tesla and Waymo. Meanwhile, competition from has China intensified as Baidu completed 691,000 fully autonomous rides in Q3 2024, even though this still trails Waymo’s estimated 2 million autonomous rides in Q3. The emergence of Chinese autonomous vehicle companies including WeRide and Pony AI in public markets, along with Baidu’s announcement of a sub-$35,000 self-driving car, indicates the global race for autonomous vehicle leadership is accelerating as we prepare to enter 2025.Episode Chapters0:00 Investor Sentiment on Autonomous Vehicles4:51 Tesla, Uber, Lyft Catalysts14:28 Uber Autonomy Investments15:46 Toyota and Pony AI17:12 Jaguar's Rebrand Impact on Waymo19:28 Trump's Autonomous Vehicle Personal27:02 Autonomous Vehicles in China20:35 U.S. Policies37:37 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, November 22, 2024Order your very own Make Autonomy Great Hat today! https://store.roadtoautonomy.com/collections/make-autonomy-great--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pete Bigelow, Senior Reporter, Automotive News joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast the potential implications of Donald J. Trump’s second term as U.S. President on the advancement and commercialization of autonomous vehicles. With significant deregulation anticipated in Trump’s second term, there is optimism about the “golden age” of autonomy that could be ushered in with a national framework for autonomous vehicles that addresses liability concerns and regulatory patchworks.Episode Chapters0:00 EVTOLs3:35 Autonomy Under Trump7:34 Waymo15:43 Zoox20:49 Autonomous Vehicle Industry24:59 Trump Autonomous Vehicle Policy29:18 Electrification40:35 Key TakeawaysRecorded on Tuesday, November 12, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the Waymo’s public launch in LA, Zoox’s debut in San Francisco and the emergence of Bot Auto. This week Waymo removed the waitlist and opened the service to the public in Los Angeles in an 80 square mile area. Even though the public can now ride in the vehicles, there are extended wait times (up to 40 minutes) and the inability to use freeways, increasing the average ride time. Without freeways, the Waymo service is limited in major markets such as LA and San Francisco because of the increased travel time. While Waymo is working on highway driving, the service is not available to members of the public, yet.In autonomous trucking, we are on the precipice of the emergence of the “big three”: Aurora, Kodiak, and Bot Auto. Each company has distinct advantages—Aurora’s partnership with Uber Freight, Kodiak’s diversified business model and capital efficiency, and Bot Auto’s plan to operate their own trucking service. Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo’s Los Angeles Public Launch 4:10 Autonomous Vehicles on Freeways 9:54 Zoox Hits The Road in San Francisco18:27 Bot Auto21:12 Autonomous Trucking Market25:48 Highway Driving 28:16 Instacart 31:47 Off-Road Autonomy Market 33:38 Next WeekRecorded on November 13, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bibhrajit Halder, Founder & CEO, Safe AI joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the growth of autonomous mining and construction. The surging demand for autonomous equipment in mining and construction is being driven partly by severe labor shortages and potential productivity gains in the range of 20-25%.Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of Autonomous Construction and Mining Markets 5:04 Connectivity 8:40 End-to-end Models13:52 LiDAR Debate21:05 Retrofitting Trucks for Autonomy28:59 Redundancy30:20 Safe AI Use Cases 32:35 Electrification35:23 Future of Autonomous Construction and MiningRecorded on Friday, November 1, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The election of Donald J. Trump as the 47th President of the United States could dramatically reshape the autonomous vehicle industry, with Elon Musk positioned as a key influence in the new administration. A national framework for autonomous vehicles and trucks is expected to be a top priority, potentially overriding state-specific regulations like California’s strict regulations. Episode Chapters0:00 Impact of the Presidential Election on Autonomy Markets 11:07 Toyota & May Mobility15:25 Lyft17:02 Zoox23:24 Autonomous Vehicle Policy27:05 Tesla33:18 Next WeekRecorded on November 7, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sergey Litvinenko, Co-Founder & CEO, Koop joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss insuring personally owned autonomous vehicles beginning with the Tesla Cybercab. Insuring autonomous vehicles without steering wheels and pedals presents unprecedented challenges that could potentially halt widespread adoption if the insurance is not figured out. While there currently isn’t an insurance product for personally owned fully autonomous vehicles, perhaps Tesla Insurance may have been created specifically to address this challenge? A critical aspect of insuring personally owned autonomous vehicles will be the handling of post-accident repairs and liability. OEM-backed insurance, particularly Tesla Insurance, is best positioned to handle these challenges due to their direct access to vehicle data, repair capabilities, and understanding of their unique vehicle designs. While there may be initial concerns about litigation and fraudulent claims, the comprehensive data collection from autonomous vehicles will help combat false claims. The future of personally owned autonomous vehicle insurance is likely to see rates decrease over time as safety performance improves.Episode Chapters0:00 Insuring CyberCab4:23 Insuring Personally Owned Autonomous Vehicles 7:13 Liability for Personally Owned Autonomous Vehicles with No Manual Controls9:01 Repairing Personally Owned Autonomous Vehicles 13:23 In The Event of a Crash, Who is Responsible? 23:36 Rider Liability Insurance 26:54 Underwriting Risk36:43 First Personally Owned Autonomous Vehicle Policies 38:27 Key TakeawaysRecorded on Tuesday, October 29, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s new EMMA model (End-to-End Multimodal Model) for Autonomous Driving, their increased weekly ridership and how a shortage of skilled mechanics and technicians could slow down the growth of the Waymo One service. As Waymo grows their service, Zoox is now preparing to join the party and launch a robotaxi service in both San Francisco and Las Vegas next year. While Zoox is about to join the robotaxi party, Tesla and their desire to launch a robotaxi service continues to divide the public and the market.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo3:02 Autonomous Vehicle Mechanics 5:46 Uber11:20 Pricing Waymo One14:53 Economy18:12 Waymo EMMA model (End-to-End Multimodal Model) Paper21:53 Tesla Shade27:28 Zoox31:41 Aurora Delays Driver Out Until April 202538:45 Lyft39:36 WeRideRecorded on October 31, 2024--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.