The Road to Autonomy

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the start of Tesla’s driver-out operations in Austin, the tenuous relationship between Waymo and Uber, and the UK’s pmomentum on autonomous vehicle regulation, while the EU remains at a standstill.Now that Tesla is testing is testing driver-out operations, they are one step closer to launching commercial robotaxi operations in Austin, bringing Elon Musk’s long-held vision closer to reality. What does Tesla’s impending robotaxi launch mean for Uber, Waymo and the broader robotaxi market? Could this launch impact the relationship between Uber and Waymo? Are they true partners, competitors, or something in between? With a growing supply of vehicles in Austin and new international opportunities emerging, including in the UK, we examine the market signals that could define the next phase of their relationship and how that will impact the autonomy markets.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo Suspends Service in LA3:18 Tesla Goes Driver-Out in Austin5:54 Boring Company 9:27 Tesla’s Focus on Safety10:34 Uber & Waymo’s Tenuous Relationship 18:06 Uber / Wayve Partnership20:53 Does the Uber / Wayve Partnership Put Pressure on Waymo?22:11 Economics of the Waymo / Uber Partnership 24:00 Dedicated Waymo Uber Tier25:32 Do Autonomous Vehicles Expand the Rideshare Market?31:12 NHTSA Part 555 / Regulatory Update 37:19 Next WeekRecorded on Saturday, June 14, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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 the financial news media’s disconnect on autonomy, Uber’s doubling down on autonomy and Alphabet’s long-term plans for Waymo.Financial TV news networks continue to misinterpret the autonomous vehicle market, often not understanding the dynamics, partnerships and individuals building the future of autonomy. Sometimes these individuals pontifications can lead to misleading headlines that sows a narrative that is false. While some financial TV analysts continue to misinterpret and in some cases downplay the progress, the autonomy economy is rapidly scaling globally and commercial rollouts of both autonomous vehicles and trucks paints a very different picture from what’s being broadcast.At the same time, Uber appears to be doubling down on its autonomous vehicle strategy, promoting longtime executive Andrew Macdonald who previously led their autonomy strategy to President and Chief Operating Officer. As Uber positions itself for an autonomous future, Alphabet faces a pivotal decision: Will the company spin out Waymo through an IPO or keep it in-house as part of a broader AI strategy?Episode Chapters0:00 Market Disconnect 4:39 Messaging 15:35 Messaging 22:17 Education and College Debt28:01 Is Uber Doubling Down on Autonomy?32:38 Waymo Advertising 35:01 Waymo IPO38:55 Tele-Operations 40:55 Tesla Robotaxi Launch44:51 Zoox50:59 Would Amazon Ever Sell Zoox?Recorded on Wednesday, June 4, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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 unpack the escalating feud between Elon Musk and President Donald J. Trump just days before Tesla’s highly anticipated robotaxi launch in Austin.The brewing political tension introduces potential new regulatory and market risks for Tesla, especially given Elon Musk’s previous influence in The White House. While the full extent of the fallout remains unclear, what is certain is that this risk must be closely monitored.Meanwhile, as Tesla prepares to launch its robotaxi service in Austin this month, the autonomy IPO market is heating up. This week Plus announced plans to go public via SPAC at a $1.2 billion valuation. Could this signal the beginning of a broader wave of investor interest in autonomous trucking?Episode Chapters0:00 Trump / Elon Feud 4:09 Feud's Impact on Robotaxi8:30 National Autonomous Vehicle Framework 9:41 Big Beautiful Bill 14:13 Viewer Question: What would the fallout be with a Tesla Robotaxi Crash?26:38 Tesla Robotaxi Launch Market Reactions 29:01 Autonomous Vehicles and a European Trade Deal 31:13 Waymo Highway Unlock33:52 Uber's Growing Autonomous Vehicle Ecosystem 35:43 Growing Public Autonomous Trucking Ecosystem40:37 Plus is Going Public44:06 Autonomous Trucking Market45:10 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, June 6, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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 Mullen, Executive Director, Council for Economic Resilience (CFER) joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the far-reaching economic benefits of automation and autonomy and how these technologies benefit every single member of society.Autonomy is good for the economy. From national security and job creation to supply chain resiliency and lower inflation, automation and autonomy are critical pillars of economic resilience. Reflecting on his time in the Trump administration (45), Jim reflects on the early groundwork that the administration took towards developing and implementing a national autonomous vehicle framework.Four years later, with President Trump back in the White House and China aggressively ramping up their automation and autonomy ambitions at the detriment to the United States. The need for a national autonomous vehicle framework that allows autonomy to prosper in the United States is more urgent than ever.Automation and autonomy will not only create high-paying jobs and lower inflation but these technologies will also empower underserved communities, unlock entirely new industries, and ensure that America maintains the strongest, most resilient economy in the world.Episode Chapters0:00 Automation & Autonomy Policies4:45 What if Autonomous Trucks were Rolling During Covid?6:55 Benefits of Automation & Autonomy14:23 National Autonomous Vehicle Framework18:24 Grassroots Community Engagement23:04 The Amazon Effect24:11 Automation & Autonomy’s Impact on Society33:48 Public Support of Automation & Autonomy36:37 American Leadership40:16 Key TakeawayRecorded on Thursday, May 29, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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 Tesla’s robotaxi launch in June 12th in Austin, Waymo’s relationship with Uber and Senator Lummis’ Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act. Tesla’s initial robotaxi deployment in Austin will launch with just 10 Model Ys operating within a limited operational design domain (ODD). While modest in scale, investor interest is intensifying as Tesla plans to gradually expand its service area, potentially surpassing Waymo’s current coverage in Austin by year-end.Meanwhile, Waymo and Uber face mounting pressure as Tesla enters the market. Speculation continues to grow around Waymo’s long-term partnership with Uber, raising questions about whether Waymo will pursue a hybrid strategy with Uber or focus solely on their Waymo One platform.A potential partnership with Toyota could offer Waymo both strategic clarity and political capital, especially as U.S. lawmakers look to advance the Autonomous Vehicle Acceleration Act of 2025, a bill that could potentially lay the groundwork for a national autonomous framework.Episode Chapters0:00 Tesla Robotaxi Launch6:56 Tesla Model Y Self-Delivery8:16 Tesla Robotaxis on the Highway10:20 New Tesla Robotaxi Markets 12:23 Waymo Announcements 18:05 Waymo / Uber Relationship 27:32 What if Tesla Bundled Robotaxi Rides with a Car Lease?29:17 Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act33:13 Unforced Error of the Week35:07 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, May 30, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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.

Chuck Price, President, AI Kinetics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the current state of autonomous trucking. From the continued speculation that Volvo is shutting down Volvo Autonomous Solutions (VAS) in North America to PACCAR’s deafening silence following Aurora’s driver-out launch, the autonomous trucking industry is navigating a period of uncertainty. Meanwhile, Daimler’s growing influence and factory-grade chassis are reshaping the competitive landscape, as the prospect of Waymo re-entering the trucking market looms large. If Waymo returns, what happens next? Chuck offers his candid insights into how quickly Waymo could rescale Via, their autonomous trucking division, and what that would mean for the future of the industry, if Waymo re-entered the autonomous trucking market.Episode Chapters0:00 Current State of Autonomous Trucking6:00 Waymo Via11:46 Building an Autonomous Truck22:52 Daimler Truck26:00 Autonomous Trucking Models34:17 Licensing 36:09 Owning & Operating an Autonomous Trucking Fleet40:36 Driver-Out Operations 50:39 Aurora / PACCAR Relationship53:57 Aurora's Path Back to Driver-Out58:44 20271:01:13 Key Takeaways Recorded on Thursday, May 22, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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 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 Chapters0:00 Autonomy Markets On The Road1:12 Tesla Model Y3:08 Tesla’s Upcoming Robotaxi Launch9:02 Managing Vehicles on the Tesla Network 10:57 Tesla’s Competitive Threat to Uber14:35 Waymo: 10 Million Paid Rides and Counting 16:01 Waymo at Google I/O20:33 Waymo’s Multi-Deployment Strategy 23:30 Licensing Tesla FSD25:33 Nuro27:45 Aurora Goes Back to Driver-In34:08 Is Waymo Going Back into Trucking?35:21 Is Waymo Feeling Pressure from Tesla?37:31 China40:21 National Autonomous Vehicle Framework 42:07 Unforced Error of The Week / Next WeekRecorded on Friday, May 23, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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.

Ali Kashani, Co-Founder & Serve Robotics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how sidewalk delivery robots are transforming the economics and experience of last-mile delivery. Ali shares the origin story of Serve Robotics, which was incubated within Postmates and later spun out of Uber into a publicly traded company. What began as a simple idea, delivering small items with small autonomous robots has grown into a rapidly scaling business operating in cities across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Miami, and Dallas. As Serve Robotics continues to expand, the company is evolving into a full-fledged robotics platform with multiple revenue streams spanning advertising, delivery, licensing, and potentially something even bigger in the future.Episode Chapters0:00 Founding of Serve Robotics2:07 Deliveries4:26 Deploying Sidewalk Robots9:53 Deployment Markets15:11 A Robotics Company19:37 Wing Partnership21:20 Restaurant Deliveries & Packaging27:53 Comparing Gen 2 to Gen 3 Robots29:59 Testing Before Deploying32:37 New Markets33:49 Advertising Business37:33 Growing Delivery Volume39:37 The Evolution of Sidewalk Robots42:07 Key TakeawaysRecorded on Wednesday, May 14, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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 recall, Tesla’s most recent NHTSA letter and Sterling Anderson’s surprise move to join GM as EVP & Chief Product Officer.For the first time ever, Waymo had a fleet-wide recall after a series of minor collisions involving stationary objects, a recall that was fixed with a simple over-the-air update. As Waymo updated their vehicles, Tesla was once again under regulatory scrutiny, this time about their upcoming FSD Unsupervised launch in Austin.Could NHTSA’s request for more information, give Elon Musk and Tesla an off-ramp as they work to further develop FSD prior to deploying fully autonomous robotaxis. In an unexpected twist, former Aurora co-founder Sterling Anderson joined GM as EVP & Chief Product Officer. His move to GM signals a potential major strategic shift for GM, especially in the wake of its decision to shutdown Cruise.With Mr. Anderson’s background in autonomy, software-defined vehicles, and hardware integration from his time at Tesla and Aurora, the hire suggests GM may be quietly rebuilding its autonomy strategy. Whether this positions him as a future CEO candidate or simply as the architect of GM’s next-generation vehicle roadmap, it’s a development that we will be following on Autonomy Markets.Episode Chapters0:00 Sterling Anderson Joins GM3:34 The Impact of Sterling’s Departure on Aurora5:53 Uber’s Autonomy Investments7:16 Aurora, a Company in Crisis13:04 Kodiak15:30 Bot Auto17:45 Wayve / Uber Partnership21:58 WeRide’s Hong Kong IPO22:46 Waymo’s Lingering Zeekr Problem25:27 Waymo’s NHTSA Recall27:18 Waymo Road Trips28:47 Is Waymo Expanding Too Quickly?30:10 Could NHTSA Delay Tesla’s June Robotaxi Launch?33:38 Market Perception of Tesla FSD36:29 Unforced Error of The Week38:40 Next WeekRecorded on Thursday, May 15, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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.

David Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief, Bloomberg joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Waymo’s growing competitive advantage in the market, Uber’s strategy and the many challenges facing Tesla.Waymo continues to strengthen its market share in the robotaxi sector, recently announcing a strategic partnership with Magna to significantly expand autonomous vehicle manufacturing capabilities. While Uber leverages its robust marketplace platform to drive substantial demand for autonomous rides through key partnerships, Waymo has diversified manufacturing to meet demand.Tesla, despite its ambitions with Full Self-Driving (FSD), faces ongoing technical challenges, including difficulties accurately identifying pedestrians, animals, and school zones, underscore the complexity in deploying fully autonomous vehicles at scale.Simultaneously, the autonomous vehicle industry’s competitive landscape remains fluid, as traditional automakers struggle with limited autonomy programs and unclear strategies. With renewed investor interest, fresh funding rounds, and upcoming commercial deployments, the autonomous mobility market is entering a pivotal phase. Autonomy companies must now navigate strategic decisions concerning scale, partnerships, and profitability.Episode Chapters0:00 Scaling Waymo’s Operations3:58 Tesla FSD5:17 Tesla’s Upcoming Austin Robotaxi Launch7:47 Did GM Pull the Plus on Cruise Too Early?11:33 GM’s Continued Investments in EVs14:48 Software16:35 Licensing Autonomy & OEM Partnerships20:41 Foxconn Contract Manufacturing AVs25:53 Uber’s Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Strategy28:50 Uber / Waymo Relationship34:33 Zoox35:31 Alphabet’s Commitment to Waymo37:28 Merge Waymo One into Uber?39:12 Car Rental Companies40:32 Autonomy as a Business44:52 Key TakeawaysRecorded on Thursday, May 8, 2025--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy provides market intelligence and strategic advisory services to institutional investors and companies, delivering insights needed to stay ahead of emerging trends in the autonomy economy™. 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.