Autonocast #351: Feisty Thanksgiving Discussion
Nov 27, 2025
The hosts dive into Waymo's rapid city expansion and its ambitious goal of scaling to one million rides weekly. They debate the political geography affecting AV acceptance and explore potential job creation around autonomous vehicles. Comparing Tesla and Waymo, they critique safety claims and discuss public reactions to AV-related incidents. The conversation touches on the challenges new players face and the future of LiDAR technology. Issues of driver monitoring and management failures also spark lively discussions.
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Waymo's Rapid City Expansion
- Waymo is scaling rapidly and expanding to many US cities with commercial service in places like LA, SF, and Phoenix.
- Their goal of a million rides per week next year makes them the clear industry leader in deployment pace.
AVs Follow Political And Geographic Lines
- AV acceptance splits geographically and politically, with Sunbelt cities more receptive than older transit-focused cities like Boston.
- Local culture and politics shape whether communities welcome autonomous vehicles.
Symbols Drive Disproportionate Outrage
- High-profile incidents like the Kit Kat cat provoke disproportionate public outrage compared with ongoing human fatalities from other systems.
- The symbolic visibility of companies like Waymo makes them lightning rods even if they reduce overall harm.