Episode 301 | Autonomy Markets: Tesla's FSD Robotaxi Launch Preview, Waymo’s AI and Ownership Vision, Aurora Stumbles as Autonomous Trucking Heats Up

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk preview Tesla’s upcoming FSD robotaxi launch, Waymo’s continued interest in personally-owned autonomous vehicles and Aurora’s stumbles. 

As we approach June, all eyes are on Austin in anticipation of Tesla’s highly awaited robotaxi launch. With real-world testing already underway, Tesla is taking a measured yet impactful approach by prioritizing safety.

Meanwhile, Waymo has surpassed 10 million paid rides and is signaling a strategic expansion into personally-owned autonomous vehicles. 

On the freight side of autonomy, the autonomous trucking market is heating up, even as Aurora stumbles. After successfully launching driver-out commercial operations in April, Aurora was forced by its OEM partner, PACCAR to reinstate a safety driver behind the wheel, raising questions about the strength of the partnership and the company’s near-term trajectory.

Aurora’s recent stumbles come just as Waymo is re-evaluating a potential return to the autonomous trucking industry, as investors are closely monitoring how these shifting dynamics could reshape the market.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Autonomy Markets On The Road

1:12 Tesla Model Y

3:08 Tesla’s Upcoming Robotaxi Launch

9:02 Managing Vehicles on the Tesla Network 

10:57 Tesla’s Competitive Threat to Uber

14:35 Waymo: 10 Million Paid Rides and Counting 

16:01 Waymo at Google I/O

20:33 Waymo’s Multi-Deployment Strategy 

23:30 Licensing Tesla FSD

25:33 Nuro

27:45 Aurora Goes Back to Driver-In

34:08 Is Waymo Going Back into Trucking?

35:21 Is Waymo Feeling Pressure from Tesla?

37:31 China

40:21 National Autonomous Vehicle Framework 

42:07 Unforced Error of The Week / Next Week

Recorded on Friday, May 23, 2025

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