The Road to Autonomy
How would you feel if the transport truck beside you on the highway had no driver? Or the car passing beside you had no driver? Would it make a difference if the widespread deployment of autonomous trucks could ease supply chain problems almost overnight and that autonomous vehicles do not get distracted or speed? And would you feel better if you knew autonomous trucks and vehicles could reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent or more. Learn more from world's leading mobility experts on The Road to Autonomy®, an ahead-of-the-curve podcast hosted by Grayson Brulte.
Autonomy Markets: Tesla Fleet API, Cybercab Hype and the Pony AI IPO
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...
What does the Autonomous Trucking Industry Need from Washington, D.C. to Scale Commercial Operations?
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...
Autonomy Markets: Trump Signals Major Autonomous Vehicle Push, China's Growing AV Market and What Investors Need to Know
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 evi...
Trump's Second Term: How Elon Musk, Tesla, and Autonomy Will Shape the Future of Transportation
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 Chapters
0:00 EVTOLs
3:35 Autonomy Under Trump
7:34 Waymo
15:43 Zoox
20:49 Autonomous Ve...
Autonomy Markets: Waymo Launches in LA, Zoox Debuts in San Francisco and Bot Auto Emerges
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 Franci...
The Growth of Autonomous Mining & Construction
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 Chapters
0:00 Current State of Autonomous Construction and Mining Markets
5:04 Connectivity
8:40 End-to-end Models
13:52 LiDAR Debate
21:05 Retrofitting Trucks for Autonomy
28:59 Redundancy
30:20 Safe AI Use Cases
32:35 Electrification
35...
Autonomy Markets: Self Driving's Next Chapter: Trump Policies, Lyft Partnerships, and Musk's Influence
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 Chapters
0:00 Impact of the Presidential Election on Autonomy Markets
11:07 Toyota & May Mobility
15:25 Lyft
17:02 Zoox
23:24 Autonomous Vehicle Policy
27:05 Tesla
33:18 Next Week
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Tesla's CyberCab Insurance Challenge: How Will Personally Owned Autonomous Vehicles Get Coverage?
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 insuranc
Autonomy Markets: Waymo’s New EMMA Model for Autonomous Driving, Zoox’s Pending Launch and The Great Tesla Divide
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 mar...
Off-Road Autonomy: Emerging Multi-Billion Dollar Markets
Sam Abidi, President, Apex Advisors joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the rapidly evolving off-road autonomy market, its unique dynamics and why the market is full of opportunity.
Autonomy is transforming off-road industries, from sprawling mine sites to vast agricultural fields and busy construction sites. As traditional equipment manufacturers and innovative startups race to meet surging demand, autonomous systems are proving to be more than just a solution to persistent labor shortages—they’re becoming a cornerstone of operational excellence.
The economics are compelling: autonomous vehicles operate longer, work more efficient
