Shows
Autonomy MarketsTesla’s Austin Moment, LiDAR Chapter 11 & HYPR EmergesThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk, Grayson hit the road and met with Tim Kentley-Klay of HYPRLABS in San Francisco, Tesla started removing the safety attendees in Austin and Waymo is reportedly raising another round at a $110 billion valuation.Grayson shares details from his exclusive first ride in the HYPRDRIVE vehicle in San Francisco and insights from his The Road to Autonomy podcast interview with Tim Kentley Klay. They discuss HYPR’s emergence from stealth and the company’s unique vision-only, self-reinforcement learning approach to autonomy.As th...
2025-12-2041 minAutonomy MarketsRivian’s Vertical Integration Bet, Wayve’s Nissan Win & Uber’s Autonomy NarrativeThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Rivian’s bold vertical integration bet as the EV maker announced plans to build their own chips and lidar sensors, effectively moving away from NVIDIA.Is the introduction of “Autonomy+”, a new software subscription priced to undercut competitors a risky distraction or a necessary move as the company works toward profitability? As Rivian looks inward, Wayve signed a major win, signing a definitive agreement to scale with Nissan in North America and Japan beginning in 2027.Then there is Uber. Who does Uber want to be when auton...
2025-12-1353 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Upstages Uber’s Party: Avride’s Debut & The Reality of ScalingThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss "Thriller in the Big D" as Waymo upstages Uber’s party in Dallas. The day before Uber was set to announce its commercial launch with Avride in Dallas, Waymo stole the spotlight by announcing they went driver-out in the same city. During the episode Grayson and Walt analyzed the fallout from this timing, including Uber’s "marketing fail" where a safety driver was spotted in promotional footage, and debate whether Avride’s limited 9-square-mile launch is a legitimate business move or just another "science project".Beyond the...
2025-12-0634 minAutonomy MarketsChina vs US: Who Can Scale Faster, WeRide or Waymo?This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Uber and WeRide's fully autonomous launch in Abu Dhabi, marking Uber's first robotaxi deployment without a safety driver outside the United States.On WeRide's earnings, the company announced a fleet of 1,600 autonomous vehicles with 750 robotaxis, while Pony.ai announced plans to triple its fleet to 3,000 by end of next year through its Bolt partnership. As Chinese robotaxi companies expand globally, the scaling question emerges: who grows the fastest?It was another big week for Waymo as the California DMV approved a massive service area expan...
2025-11-2932 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo's Six Stages of AutonomyThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s accelerated nationwide expansion with new markets, Minneapolis, Tampa, New Orleans, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando getting ready to come online, while breaking down and coin Waymo’s Six Stages of Autonomy.As Waymo expands, competition is brewing in Dallas where Avride in partnership with Uber and Lyft in partnership with Mobileye will begin to operate commercial robotaxi services later this year and into next year, as Dallas begins to emerge as a major robotaxi market.Beyond Waymo, the episode explores broader industry...
2025-11-2237 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo's Highway Unlock Is Real. Its Moat Still Isn't.This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's great highway unlock, their Bay Area expansion to 260 square miles and the launch of commercial service at the San Jose Airport.Despite the expansion, Waymo remains sharply vehicle-constrained. Bloomberg reported this week that the company is operating roughly 1,000 vehicles in the Bay Area, 700 in Los Angeles, 500 in Phoenix, 200 in Austin, and just 100 in Atlanta, for a total fleet of approximately 2,500 vehicles spread across all markets.In the autonomous trucking market, Kodiak continues to demonstrate that the economics work. With 10 fully driverless trucks generating revenue in the Permian Basin...
2025-11-1531 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Expands, Lyft Builds, Uber Ducks as Tesla Rewrites the Autonomy ScriptThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s expansion into three new markets, Uber’s role in autonomy and Lyft’s growing infrastructure ambitions. Beneath the headlines, Tesla is aiming to once again reshape the entire autonomous driving industry with their AI5 chip, FSD Unsupervised deployment, and the expansion of their insurance business. As Tesla continues to focus on what’s next, Uber is sending mixed messages to the market while engineers across Silicon Valley begin exploring alternatives to Nvidia’s GPUs. Wrapping up the conversation...
2025-11-0840 minAutonomy MarketsNVIDIA’s Autonomy Ambitions Become Clearer as Waymo and Uber Head for DivorceThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss NVIDIA’s ever expanding autonomy ambitions and the fracturing relationship between Waymo and Uber, which may signal the end of one of the industry’s most-watched partnerships.Jensen Huang’s latest GTC announcements further signaled that NVIDIA is moving beyond supplying compute to potentially building their own full autonomy stack and licensing it. Grayson and Walt trace this shift back to the early days NVIDIA’s automotive division and the evolution of its Hyperion platform, which is now positioned not only to power OEMs but also to compete directly...
2025-11-0134 minAutonomy MarketsTesla’s Robotaxi Scale Plan, NVIDIA’s Autonomy AmbitionsThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla’s Q3 earnings call, NVIDIA’s strategic partnership with Uber, and GM’s surprising return to autonomy under Sterling Anderson’s leadership.The conversation opens with Walt’s firsthand insights from Tesla’s Q3 2025 earnings call, where the company confirmed plans to remove safety attendants across “large parts” of Austin by year-end after accumulating 250,000 robotaxi miles. Tesla also announced 8–10 additional markets coming online by year-end, including Florida, Arizona, and Nevada, following the company’s phased rollout playbook: safety-attended operations first, followed by fully autonomous service. Grays...
2025-10-2540 minAutonomy MarketsTesla FSD 14 Updates and Waymo’s Latest Moove Away from UberThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla’s continued FSD 14 updates, Waymo’s expansion to London and the growing political and infrastructure challenges shaping the next phase of robotaxi growth.Walt shares his latest hands-on experience with FSD 14, including testing the new “Mad Max” mode, featuring more assertive lane changes, higher driving speeds, and improved autonomous parking. As Tesla refines FSD 14 in preparation for a wider release, Waymo continues to expand globally.This week, Waymo announced plans to launch in London in 2026, marking its second international market and the first where it will compete head-to...
2025-10-1833 minAutonomy MarketsFirst Impressions of Tesla FSD 14, Waymo’s Next Potential MarketsThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla’s FSD 14 release and Waymo’s potential market expansions.The episode begins with Walt sharing his firsthand experience testing FSD 14, showcasing its breakthrough ability to autonomously back out of driveways and park at destinations with a single tap. While impressive, he notes challenges remain with driveway precision and occasional cautious, jerky driving behavior that sets this version apart from previous releases.As Tesla rolls out FSD 14, NHTSA has launched a preliminary investigation into FSD. Meanwhile, Waymo is looking to potentially expand to Minnesota, after the company hired four...
2025-10-1136 minAutonomy MarketsFrom London to Dubai Robotaxis are Rapidly Expanding GloballyThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the accelerating global expansion of robotaxis. In London, Wayve is proving its adaptable, AI-powered autonomous system can navigate complex roadways, from double roundabouts to unpredictable pedestrian interactions without reliance on LiDAR.Wayve's strategy of working hand-in-hand with OEMs sets it apart from Tesla’s vision-only approach, allowing flexibility depending on manufacturer demands. At the same time, institutional investors are beginning to pay more attention to the autonomous vehicles, particularly focusing not just on the technology, but on broader ecosystem of energy, fleet management, and vehicle depreciation that w...
2025-10-0439 minAutonomy MarketsDoes Tesla FSD 14 Matter?This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the upcoming release of Tesla FSD 14, Waymo’s potential expansion to London and Nuro taking delivery of their first Lucid-built robotaxi.What will the highly anticipated release of FSD 14 (Supervised) mean for the market? Could reduced driver monitoring signal that Tesla is inching closer to FSD Unsupervised? One thing is clear no matter what, Tesla’s vertical integration and production scale position it to deploy robotaxis faster than anyone, including Waymo, which remains dependent on its manufacturing partners. Later the c...
2025-09-2733 minAutonomy MarketsLyft’s Back! Waymo Deal Shocks Market, Tesla & Uber Forge Unthinkable AllianceThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Lyft’s dramatic return to the big leagues of the autonomous vehicle industry through a surprise partnership with Waymo in Nashville, including fleet management, sending Lyft stock soaring 20% while Uber dropped 5%.Grayson and Walt examine the strategic implications of this non-exclusive deal, where a shared fleet will operate across both Lyft and Waymo networks, with Lyft leveraging its Flexdrive subsidiary for fleet management. This deal, marks Waymo’s second partnership with Lyft, correcting widespread media reports that overlooked a small 2019 Phoenix pilot program that quietly disappeared from public view...
2025-09-2038 minAutonomy MarketsGrok vs Gemini: Why AI Could Be the Most Valuable Car Real EstateThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the rapidly shifting landscape of AI inside of vehicles, exploring how xAI’s Grok and Google’s Gemini are shaping the next wave of “car real estate.” Grayson and Walt debate whether these AI systems will remain as assistants limited to Q&A or evolve into agentic copilots capable of controlling everything from “car wash mode” to trip planning and operating the traditional in-cabin functions of a vehicle. They draw parallels to historical tech battles, from Apple CarPlay’s removal by GM to t...
2025-09-1342 minAutonomy MarketsWho is Winning the Robotaxi Heavyweight Fight? Waymo or Tesla?This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the new expansion announcements from both Waymo and Tesla, framing it as a “heavyweight fight”. Waymo announced plans to expand to Denver and Seattle, with Denver set to become the first city where its fleet will include both Jaguar I-PACEs and Zeekrs. The company also gained regulatory approval to operate at the San Jose (SJC) airport, a move Grayson Brulte predicted five months ago on a previous episode.Meanwhile, Tesla opened the public waitlist for its Robotaxi app, which quic...
2025-09-0642 min
The Road to AutonomyAutonomy Markets: Who is Winning the Robotaxi Heavyweight Fight? Waymo or Tesla?This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the new expansion announcements from both Waymo and Tesla, framing it as a “heavyweight fight”. Waymo announced plans to expand to Denver and Seattle, with Denver set to become the first city where its fleet will include both Jaguar I-PACEs and Zeekrs. The company also gained regulatory approval to operate at the San Jose (SJC) airport, a move Grayson Brulte predicted five months ago on a previous episode.Meanwhile, Tesla opened the public waitlist for its Robotaxi app, which quickly surged up the Apple App Store...
2025-09-0642 minAutonomy MarketsUber CEO Reignites the Great Waymo vs Tesla DebateThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk marked the one-year anniversary of Autonomy Markets and discussed the reignited debate between LiDAR and vision-only after comments made by Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi during an interview. During the interview, Mr. Khosrowshahi stated that in the short term, a combination of camera, LiDAR, and radar is the “right solution,” noting that all of Uber’s current partners use this combination. This statement prompted a response from Elon Musk, who argued via a post on X that LiDAR and radar actually reduce safety due to “sensor contentio...
2025-08-3031 minAutonomy MarketsSend More Waymo's to Atlanta ASAP and Nuro's Big CheckThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the significant operational challenges in the autonomy autonomous vehicles industry and Waymo's on-going difficulties with its Atlanta launch on Uber.Waymo's launch in Atlanta has gone anything but smooth. A shortage of vehicles and frequent rider pairing issues on Uber have sparked negative local media coverage, with Fox 5 Atlanta even publishing a guide on how to improve your chances of getting a Waymo ride. The Atlanta launch has raised questions about the long-term future of Uber and Waymo's partner...
2025-08-2340 minAutonomy MarketsGM’s Autonomy Flip Flop, Waymo’s Supply Issue, New 37 Camera Autonomous VehicleThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss GM’s sudden return to autonomous vehicles, Waymo’s growing supply constraints, and the launch of Tensor Auto.A few months after shutting down Cruise, GM is once again re-entering the autonomous vehicle market, but this time with a twist. This time around the company will be focusing on developing personally-owned autonomous vehicles instead of robotaxis.This is GM’s third attempt at autonomy, raising questions about whether the company can regain the trust of engineers and the broader industry after repeatedly abandoning past efforts. While GM prepares for an...
2025-08-1653 minAutonomy MarketsUber’s Autonomous Investments Won’t Be Modest, With or Without WaymoThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Uber’s growing autonomous vehicle investments and why they won’t be modest. While Uber publicly framed their autonomy spending as “modest” and emphasized share buybacks, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi made it clear on the company’s Q2 2025 earnings call that more OEM partnerships and AV deals are on the horizon. At the same time, Uber pointed to “recycling” past investments, raising the question: why recycle when the company’s growing free cash flow can support both increased buybacks and significant investments in the autonomy ecosystem? Is this simpl...
2025-08-0938 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Leaves Uber in Austin and the Tesla Double StandardThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s expansion to Dallas without Uber, instead partnering with Avis and renewing a relationship that dates back to 2017 and the emerging Tesla double standard. Waymo’s multi-year partnership with Avis signals the company’s desire to maintain flexibility, rather than locking into exclusive partnerships. With Avis once again joining the autonomous vehicle industry as a service provider, could Hertz and Enterprise be next to jump back in to the industry? As Waymo continues to expand to new markets, Tesla ha recently launched a ride-hailing s...
2025-08-0236 minAutonomy MarketsTesla & Alphabet Earnings, Zoox Limited Rides in Vegas, Scaling RobotaxiThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla and Alphabet’s Q2 2025 earnings calls, Tesla’s growing robotaxi ambitions and the launch of Zoox’s limited fixed-route service in Las Vegas.Tesla’s Robotaxi expansion ambitions are growing, and on their Q2 2025 earnings call, Elon Musk disclosed that Tesla is looking to expand robotaxi service to Nevada, Florida, Arizona and the Bay Area as soon as this weekend. Two key factors behind Tesla’s ability to scale quickly are its expansive Supercharger network and its streamlined sensor suite, which is much simpler than those used by Waymo.I...
2025-07-2646 minAutonomy MarketsDriver-Out with Avride, Nuro's Uber Lucid Deal, Waymo's Austin DepotThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss their driver-out ride with Avride, Nuro's impressive deal with Lucid and Uber, and Waymo's Austin depot operated by AVOMO. While in Austin last week, Grayson and Walt met with AVride, experienced a fully autonomous ride in their Hyundai IONIQ 5, and spent time with the company's management team. AVride’s engineering and OEM partnership strategy stood out as key strengths and later this year, the company will launch commercial service on the Uber network in Dallas.Scaling robotaxi services requires real-world logistics, and companies such as AVOMO are leaning int...
2025-07-1941 minAutonomy MarketsWe Rode in Tesla’s Robotaxi, Here's Our ExperienceThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk headed to Austin, Texas to experience Robotaxi firsthand.After spending the week in Austin and experiencing Robotaxi firsthand, we came away truly impressed. Tesla did it, they cracked full self-driving with a vision-only system. From our very first ride we noticed how the autonomous driving system was confident, yet not risky. It performed at a high-level and even out performed Waymo in several instances when we tested both autonomous driving systems side by side in a variety of real-world scenarios.Over...
2025-07-1236 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo's Moove Away from Fleet Ownership, Ford Makes Wayve's on LiDARThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla's robotaxi launch in Austin, OpenAI's growing autonomous driving ambitions, Waymo's future and Foxconn's strategic partnership with Elektrobit.The launch of Tesla's robotaxi has sparked polarized reactions with some hailing it as revolutionary, with some hailing it as a revolutionary milestone and others scrutinizing the reliance on a safety attendant and the limited operational design domain. During the episode, Grayson and Walt discussed how this measured rollout contrasts with the overhyped expectations, while also emphasizing that no company, including Waymo has scaled robotaxis without any operational issues. Beyond T...
2025-07-0532 minAutonomy MarketsTesla Robotaxi Launch, OpenAI & Foxconn, Waymo's FutureThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla's robotaxi launch in Austin, OpenAI's growing autonomous driving ambitions, Waymo's future and Foxconn's strategic partnership with Elektrobit.The launch of Tesla's robotaxi has sparked polarized reactions with some hailing it as revolutionary, with some hailing it as a revolutionary milestone and others scrutinizing the reliance on a safety attendant and the limited operational design domain. During the episode, Grayson and Walt discussed how this measured rollout contrasts with the overhyped expectations, while also emphasizing that no company, including Waymo has scaled robotaxis without any operational issues. Beyond T...
2025-06-2851 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Goes to NYC, Rider Survey Reveals Strategy, Can Texas Stop Tesla? Is Meta Eyeing Autonomy?This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s return to the Big Apple, a revealing new Waymo rider survey, political grandstanding in Texas aimed at delaying Tesla’s robotaxi launch, and the emergence of potential new players in autonomous driving sector, Meta and OpenAI.Waymo announced plans to resume testing in New York City this summer, the first time operating in the city since 2021. While the move signals growing confidence in their technology, regulatory hurdles remain, as current New York state law prohibits fully driverless operations until at least 2026 when a new law could come...
2025-06-2151 minAutonomy MarketsTesla Goes Driver Out, Unraveling the Tenuous Waymo Uber Relationship, Will The UK Leave the EU Behind Again?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 an...
2025-06-1441 minAutonomy MarketsElon and Trump Drama, Tesla Robotaxi Crash Fallout, More Autonomy IPOsThis 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 ann...
2025-06-0747 minAutonomy MarketsTesla’s Robotaxi Launch Confirmed, Waymo and Uber's Future Together, AV Policy Gains MomentumThis 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 partnersh...
2025-05-3136 minAutonomy MarketsTesla's FSD Robotaxi Launch Preview, Waymo’s AI and Ownership Vision, Aurora Stumbles as AutonomousThis 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 s...
2025-05-2442 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo’s Recall, Tesla’s NHTSA Scrutiny, and Sterling Anderson’s Surprise MoveThis 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...
2025-05-1739 minAutonomy MarketsWhat’s Going On at Aurora? Why Waymo Needs More Cars, and Has Waymo Cooled on Lyft?This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the abrupt resignation of Aurora Co-Founder Sterling Anderson, why Waymo needs more vehicles and the continued fragmentation of the robotaxi market. Mr. Anderson’s sudden departure sent shockwaves through the industry, raising critical questions about his next move and the potential impact on Aurora’s partnership with Volvo, along with Uber’s reaction. Yet, curiously, none of these questions were raised by analysts on the company’s earnings call, leaving investors and industry insiders to speculate.Meanwhile, Waymo appears to be scaling faster than its fleet can su...
2025-05-1038 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Redraws the Map, Aurora Goes Driverless, Uber Backs May Mobility to Challenge the Autonomy DuopolyThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's potential new partnership with Toyota, the launch of Aurora's driver-out commercial operations and Uber's continued effort to challenge the autonomy duopoly.On Tuesday, Waymo announced a potential partnership with Toyota to develop personally-owned autonomous vehicles, confirming a business pivot in an effort to counter Tesla’s upcoming robotaxi launch in Austin. Wile Waymo signals a shift in strategy, Aurora launched fully autonomous commercial operations in partnership with Uber Freight.As Uber became Aurora's first commercial customer, the rideshare side of their business continued to double-d...
2025-05-0337 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo’s Pivot? Counting Teslas, and Can Aurora Beat the Clock?This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's potential pivot away from HD maps, their 250,000 fully autonomous rides per week milestone, Tesla's pending robotaxi launch and Aurora's long-promised driver-out launch. In a post announcing the milestone on X, Waymo used the term "generalizable Waymo Driver”, potentially hinting that the company may move away from HD maps. Could Waymo be moving towards an end-to-end approach in similar fashion to Tesla?Tesla that is actively preparing to launch their robotaxis in Austin this June. Will they launch in June, or will they delay until July as Elon Mus...
2025-04-2632 minAutonomy MarketsKodiak is Going Public, Aurora’s Driver-Out Countdown Continues, and Lyft Expands to EuropeThis 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 aut...
2025-04-1943 minAutonomy MarketsWayve Wins, Nuro Reloads, Austin Doesn't Guarantee Uber Waymo’s Next ChapterThis 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, Way...
2025-04-1239 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Opens Door to Rivals, Uber Debate Heats Up, Tariffs Winners & LosersThis 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...
2025-04-0550 minAutonomy MarketsTexas Roadtrip, Waymo in The Swamp, Don’t Sleep on Autonomous TrucksThis 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 le...
2025-03-2948 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo’s Big Week and Elon’s PromisesThis 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 commer...
2025-03-2249 minAutonomy MarketsAutonomy Markets: California’s Economy Needs Waymo at Airports, Could Apple Surpass Amazon in Autonomy? May Mobility, an Undiscovered GemThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discus 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 Inte...
2025-03-1545 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo’s Missing Tier, Uber and Lyft Keep Rides Moving and Hyundai’s Robotaxi PushThis 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, A...
2025-03-0838 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Needs Fewer Robotaxis Than You Think and Tesla’s California DreamsThis 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 transp...
2025-03-0137 minAutonomy MarketsLyft’s Autonomous Vehicle Manifesto, LiDAR’s Potential Big Winners, Personally-Owned Autonomous Vehicle FleetsThis 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 expresse...
2025-02-2249 minAutonomy MarketsUber’s Autonomy Push, Hesai’s Make-or-Break Moment, NVIDIA’s Big PlansThis 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 opportu...
2025-02-1643 minAutonomy MarketsUber’s Autonomous Vehicle Keys to Success, Waymo’s Big Moves and Detroit’s Pivot to LicensingThis 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 a...
2025-02-0851 minAutonomy MarketsTesla Earnings, Waymo’s Announcements and Kodiak’s Historical MilestoneThis 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...
2025-02-0146 minAutonomy MarketsTrump, Elon, Teamsters, and The Race for Autonomy: Who’s Steering the Future?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 la...
2025-01-2542 minAutonomy MarketsAutonomy Markets Goes To DC, What to Expect from Trump and Solutions for the China ProblemThis 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 t...
2025-01-1941 minAutonomy MarketsCES 2025, Rethinking LiDAR, The Dilemma Facing Uber and Legacy OEMsThis 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 ans...
2025-01-1143 minAutonomy Markets2025 Autonomy Outlook, Legacy Automakers’ Innovation Paralysis, Will FSD Return Tesla to Growth?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...
2025-01-0443 minAutonomy MarketsTesla FSD 13, Autonomous Trucking’s Regulatory Roadblocks, Waymo’s Path to SFOThis 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 f...
2024-12-2949 minAutonomy MarketsApple to Revive Robotaxi Ambitions? Waymo Expands to Japan, Uber’s Fleet StrategyThis week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Apple’s potential return to the robotaxi market through Foxconn, Waymo's expansion to Japan and Uber's fleet strategy.
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...
2024-12-2139 minAutonomy MarketsGM Shuts Down Cruise, Uber’s Autonomy Dilemma and Torc’s FutureThis 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...
2024-12-1435 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Heads to Miami, Tesla Releases FSD 13 and The Future RideshareThis 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 Te...
2024-12-0746 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Launches in LA, Zoox Debuts in San Francisco and Bot Auto EmergesIn 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 becaus...
2024-11-1634 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo’s New EMMA Model for Autonomous Driving, Zoox’s Pending Launch and The Great Tesla DivideIn 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...
2024-11-0244 minAutonomy MarketsAutonomy IPOs Heat Up: Tesla's 20% Rally, WeRide’s $440M IPO, & Waymo’s $5.6B Funding RoundIn this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the opening of the autonomy IPO market and investors increasing desire to own autonomous vehicle companies. On October 23rd, Tesla’s stock rallied 20% following earnings that beat the street and Elon Musk’s continued commentary about Tesla’s robotaxi ambitions. WeRide completed its NASDAQ IPO raising $440M on October 25th, the same day Waymo announced a massive $5.6B funding round led by Alphabet with participation from Tiger Global and Sliver Lake.Episode Chapters0:00 Capital Markets are Open3:07 Tesla Robotaxi Service in Palo Alt...
2024-10-2638 minAutonomy MarketsMore Details Emerge on Tesla’s FSD 13 Robotaxi Bet, Uber’s Ambitions, Emerging Autonomy IPO MarketIn this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the details emerging from Tesla’s robotaxi unveiling at We, Robot. Tesla’s robotaxi is projected to have a 200-mile range with FSD 13 powering Full Self-Driving Unsupervised. Could FSD 13 be Tesla’s breakthrough autonomy moment? Or will it be a later version of FSD? Later the conversation shifts to the emerging news about Uber’s potential acquisition of Expedia and what that acquisition would mean to both the travel and autonomy markets.The IPO market for autonomy is heating up, as Horizon Robotics has filled fo...
2024-10-1940 minAutonomy MarketsTesla's We, Robot Event: AI Confusion or Cybernetic RevolutionIn this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla’s We Robot event, an event that Grayson has dubbed as “Autonomy Disneyland” and the markets mixed market reaction.While the We Robot event was impressive and Disneyesque, it fell short on providing concrete details about timelines, financial projections, and technological progress in Tesla’s development of full self-driving (FSD). The lack of substantive details led to an 8% drop in Tesla’s stock price, while Uber and Lyft’ stocks gained on no further details about Tesla’s proposed robotaxi network service. Overall, the We Robot event...
2024-10-1336 minAutonomy MarketsTesla's 10/10 We Robot Event, Waymo's Austin Launch, and Zoox's New Vegas PartnershipIn this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla's highly anticipated 10/10 We Robot event and what could be announced. Could Optimus have a friend? Could Tesla introduce Full Self-Driving (Supervised) for Tesla Semi? Will the robotaxi be a two passenger vehicle? There are lots of questions that will be answered next week live on the Warner Bros. backlot in Burbank, CA. As Tesla is poised to potentially change the market, Waymo has begun their early rider program in Austin, Texas in a 37 square mile ODD. Next up for early rider, Atlanta. We expect Waymo to begi...
2024-10-0634 minAutonomy MarketsU.S. Chinese Autonomous Vehicle Ban Tesla We Robot Event GM Surprise Move and a Waymo LA PredictionIn this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the U.S. Commerce Department’s proposed ruling to prohibit the sale or import of vehicles that have hardware and software integrated into the vehicle connectivity system (VCS) and software integrated into the Automated Driving System from China and Russia. They explored the potential impact of the proposed rule and what the broader implications for trade relations could be in the future.Later the conversation delves into Waymo’s LA expansion and Grayson predicts Waymo will open the service to all members of the public with...
2024-10-0240 minAutonomy MarketsWaymo Potential Pivot to Hyundai and Zoox Upcoming LaunchIn this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s potential pivot away from Zeekr to Hyundai, Zoox’s commercialization strategy and why Uber is the platform for autonomy.Waymo’s potential deal with Hyundai for the IONIQ 5 platform could mark the end of Waymo’s deal with Zeekr, ending what we have termed an unforced error. If Waymo is indeed abandoning the Chinese made Zeekr, could there be a broader shakeout of Chinese technology in the autonomous vehicle industry?Then there is Zoox which is operating in a secretive manner as they prepa...
2024-09-2533 minAutonomy MarketsSilicon Valley Changing Autonomous Vehicle Landscape Licensing Experiences and Personal AV OwnershipIn this episode of Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the latest developments in the autonomous vehicle industry, drawing insights from Grayson's recent trip to Silicon Valley.There is an emerging shift towards developing autonomous driving stacks and licensing the technology to OEMs and mobility platform providers. Nuro is embracing this trend as they announced their new business models this week.As the autonomous vehicle business models change, consumer exceptions are changing in parallel. There is an increasing focus on premium experiences in autonomy as both startups and global OEMs begin to develop...
2024-09-2545 minAutonomy MarketsAutonomy: A Threat or Strength for Uber? Waymo’s Unforced Error and the Affordability of DeliveryGrayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk, discuss Wall Street's perspective on autonomy, the implications that autonomy could have on Uber and whether it's a strength or weakness for Uber. Along with the impact of Tesla entering the robotaxi market and the growth of Waymo.Later in the conversation they explore topics such as the potential for autonomous vehicles to be marketed as a premium service, the challenges of integrating Chinese-made vehicles into U.S. markets, and the future of food delivery services. Episode Chapters0:00 Wall Street's Perspective on Autonomy3:33 Uber
2024-09-2543 min
Building Better with Brandon Bartneck#193 – Grayson Brulte | SAE Tomorrow Today – The Path(s) to Commercial Adoption for Autonomous VehiclesAs host of SAE Tomorrow Today, Grayson Brulte operates at the intersection of economics, politics, and technology to help listeners navigate emerging technologies and understand their impact on mobility.
Grayson Brulte discusses the most interesting questions and topics in the autonomous vehicle industry, including the challenges of artificial timelines and the importance of realistic milestones. He shares insights into the robotaxi space and the potential business models for autonomous vehicles. Grayson also explores different applications of autonomy, such as shuttles and privately owned vehicles. He discusses the value and economics of autonomy in long-haul trucking and the...
2024-02-0450 min
The Road to AutonomyRail Industry: On the Rails of Economic GrowthMatt Soule, CEO and Co-Founder, Parallel Systems joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Parallel Systems will act as an economic growth engine for the rail industry. The conversation begins with Matt discussing how Parallel Systems business has evolved since he last joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy roughly year ago. During this time, Parallel has been testing their Gen2 vehicle in the United States and has deployed a Gen1 vehicle overseas. As they gear up to deploy their Gen2 vehicle, the company is preparing up to test railwort...
2023-10-3137 min
The Road to AutonomyElectrifying an Iconic BrandPete Bigelow, Senior Reporter, covering self-driving tech and the future of mobility, Automotive News joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss Ford and the electrification of an iconic brand.The conversation begins with Grayson and Pete discussing the incredible performance of Ford under CEO Jim Farley in the public markets. As Ford electrifies their brand, the company has implemented a savvy strategy built around iconic Ford brands: F-150 and Mustang.As car companies such as Ford begin to electrify their lineup of vehicles, it’s important not to lose sight of the ci...
2022-01-2551 min
The Road to AutonomyNarratives Shape RealityFinch Fulton, Vice President of Policy and Strategy, Locomation joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss the current state of autonomous trucking policy and why narratives shape reality.The conversation begins with Finch sharing his outlook for 2022 and what he is expecting to see in the autonomous trucking industry. The potential impact of the April 2021 Executive Order Establishing the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment on autonomous trucking.With rising inflation, labor politics, and a lack of truck drivers, Grayson and Finch discuss how autonomous trucking can shore up t...
2022-01-111h 03
The Road to AutonomyDoubling Down on InnovationDustin Koehl, Senior Vice President Of Sales, U.S. Xpress joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss why U.S. Xpress is doubling down on innovation and what the future of the trucking industry looks like in the coming years.The conversation begins with Dustin sharing an overview of U.S. Xpress and why the company is constantly doubling down on innovation. From Variant which is reengineering the truck diver experience for the better to autonomous trucking which will shore up the chain, U.S. Xpress is constantly focused on the future of trucking...
2022-01-0451 min
The Road to AutonomyCommercializing Autonomous VehiclesDavid Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief, Bloomberg joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss commercializing autonomous vehicles and the growth of the electric vehicle market in the United States.The conversation begins with David sharing his thoughts on the current state of the autonomous vehicle industry.Right now you are kind of seeing a race to get some sort of autonomous business to market. – David WelchAs autonomous vehicle companies prepare to commercialize their service, Grayson and David discuss the strategic advantages that Cruise has with GM/Honda and Argo AI has with...
2021-12-2152 min
The Road to AutonomyAn All-Electric FutureDr. Dean Bushey, Vice President, Global Social Innovation Business, Hitachi joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss an all-electric vehicle future.The conversation begins with Dean discussing his 25-year career in the United States Air Force and his first-hand experience with unmanned aircraft.When you fly a drone, you actually get combat hours. – Dr. Dean BusheyFrom military applications of unmanned aircraft to civilian applications, Grayson asks Dean his thoughts on the consumer drone market. It’s an exciting market with a lot of use cases.If you look...
2021-11-1548 min
The Road to AutonomyContinuous Commitment to InnovationAbhijit Ganguly, Managing Director, Goodyear Ventures joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss Goodyear’s continuous commitment to innovation.The conversation begins with Abhijit discussing Goodyear’s continuous commitment to innovation since 1898.We have a rich history and proven track record of innovating in the mobility space. – Abhijit GangulyAt CES 2020, Goodyear announced the Goodyear Ventures fund.We announced the fund at CES with the goal of letting everyone know that we were ready to build these strategic relationships with startups. – Abhijit GangulyA little over a year...
2021-09-2841 min
The Road to AutonomyA Brave New WorldCameron Gieda, Director of Business Development, Spartan Radar joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss why 4D radar is a brave new world.The conversation begins with Grayson and Cameron talking about surfing, sharks, and the impact Jaws had on society. The movie and the music make you think twice before getting in the water now.Learning to kinda overcome those primal fears and other fears that were generated by media is a challenge, but it is quite cathartic when you can finally relax in that situation understanding the odds. – Cameron Gieda
2021-09-2346 min
The Road to AutonomyAllianceTexas: Developing The FutureIan Kinne, Director, Logistics Innovation, Hillwood joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss AllianceTexas and the Mobility Innovation Zone.The conversation begins with Ian describing the vision behind Hillwood’s AllianceTexas development, a 27,000-acre development that has generated $92 billion in economic impact and created over 63,000 jobs in just 30 years.Our platform grew from being a land development company to an industrial development company to a mixed-use development company which is now Alliance. – Ian KinneWith Texas seeing unprecedented growth of companies either expanding or relocating their headquarters, there is still room...
2021-09-0741 min
The Road to AutonomyCurrent State of The Public Mobility MarketsAlan Ohnsman, Senior Editor, Forbes joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss the public mobility markets. From SPACs to Tesla to traditional IPOs, Grayson and Alan discuss the current state of the public mobility markets, electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and autonomous trucking.The conversation begins with Alan and Grayson discussing the current state of the SPAC market.SPAC activity in both the EV and AV space is just astonishing. I think there is an increasing concern about the quality of some of these offerings. Not all companies are created equal. Not all s...
2021-08-1053 min
The Road to AutonomyThe Data Will Always Set You FreeAndy Smart, Safety & Technical Standards Specialist joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss why the data will always set you free when an organization embraces and implements a culture of safety.The conversation begins with Andy talking about the first time he experienced mobility freedom when he got his first bike at age ten in Scotland. Today, Andy rides a fixed-gear bike without brakes as he wants to be in control and fully aware of his surroundings at all times.It’s all about the awareness of your surroundings and your connec...
2021-07-271h 11
The Road to AutonomyThe World Runs on ArmRobert Day, Director, Autonomous Vehicles, Arm joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss why the world runs on Arm.The conversation begins with Robert discussing Arm’s partnership approach and how over 190 billion devices around the world contain Arm-based chips.It’s really all about the partnership approach. It’s all about working with our silicon partners and giving them the right technology to allow them to address the different markets they want to put their silicon into. – Robert DayFocusing on Arm’s partnership approach, Robert discusses how Arm was able t...
2021-07-0648 min
The Road to AutonomyBuilding Better Basics: City of San JoséJordan Sun, Chief Innovation Officer, City of San José joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss building better basics in the City of San José through innovation and technology.The conversation begins with Jordan discussing his time serving two tours of duty (2012 and 2020) in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army. Comparing and contrasting his experiences, Jordan talks about his time and what he learned during each tour of duty. During his 2020 tour of duty, Jordan and his team built and shipped a software product from the battlefield.Continuing to serve his countr...
2021-06-0847 min
The Road to AutonomyThe World’s First Publicly Traded Autonomous Vehicle Company: TuSimpleCheng Lu, President & CEO, TuSimple joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss taking TuSimple public and the company’s plans for growth.The conversation begins with Cheng discussing why TuSimple chose to go public as a traditional IPO rather than a SPAC and what the journey was like to become the world’s first publicly traded autonomous vehicle company.We priced above our range. We raised $1.3 billion dollars as a company. We have a market cap of $8 billion dollars. – Cheng LuTaking a step back, Grayson asks Cheng about his time stud...
2021-06-0146 min
The Road to AutonomyThe Geopolitics of the Global Mineral Supply ChainMark P. Mills, Senior Fellow Manhattan Institute, Faculty Fellow Northwestern University School of Engineering, and Partner in Montrose Lane, an Energy-Tech Venture Fund joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss the geopolitics of the global mineral supply chain.The conversation begins with Mark discussing his review of the book Unsettled by Physicist Steven Koonin in the Wall Street Journal and how it led to the Manhattan Institute’s Facebook page being temporarily suspended. Grayson raises the point about debates and how debates were instrumental in the founding of The United States.Shifting gea...
2021-05-2557 min
The Road to AutonomyThe Crucial Role Memory Plays in AutomotiveRobert Bielby, Senior Director of Automotive System Architecture & Segment Marketing, Micron joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss the crucial role that memory plays in automotive.With the automotive industry focused on electrification and statements made by Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, and Bryan Salesky, Co-Founder & CEO of Argo AI about the computer power needed for self-driving cars, Grayson asks Robert to share his thoughts on how to best optimize for energy efficiency in autonomous vehicles.We are focused on how do we optimize power consumption. – Robert BielbyWith over 30...
2021-05-2149 min
The Road to AutonomyEnabling In-Vehicle Experiences and CommerceJohn Absmeier, Chief Technology Officer, Lear Corporation joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss Seating as a Service and how Xevo will enable in-vehicle experiences and commerce.The conversation begins with John discussing his time in the United States Marine Corps and what he learned as a Sergeant E5 motor transport mechanic. John learned leadership skills that have translated into an extremely successful career as an innovator and business leader.As a young engineer, John worked on the inductive charge panel connection system for the GM EV1.I got highl...
2021-05-1141 min
The Road to AutonomyEconomic Impact of the U.S. Oil IndustryDean Foreman, Chief Economist, American Petroleum Institute (API), and Prentiss Searles, Petroleum Marketing Policy Manager, American Petroleum Institute (API) joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss the economic impact of the U.S. oil industry.The conversation begins with Dean sharing an overview of the current state of the U.S. oil markets.We have historically strong demand, potentially record demand this year and next combined. Weak drilling activity, weak investment. That opens the question of just the extent that the U.S. can participate in this recovery. – Dean ForemanThe...
2021-05-0637 min
The Road to AutonomyThe Future of Parking: Integrated Payments & Mobility HubsNeil Golson, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Partnerships, FLASH joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss how software and partnerships are enabling the future of parking —integrated payments and mobility hubs.The conversation begins with Neil sharing his insight into the current state of the parking business. While parking demand is still down 65% pre-COVID, the industry is beginning to rebound as consumers begin to travel again.FLASH has an interesting insight into the parking industry as they do not own the asset, they are the software layer that enables parkin...
2021-04-2145 min
Explain to ShaneFrom idea to interstate: Getting more autonomous vehicles on the road (with Grayson Brulte)Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are gaining traction in states where regulations encourage advanced technology to ride alongside traditional transportation. But in areas where AVs are in everyday traffic, issues like driver safety and data collection are being watched by policymakers. For both innovators and lawmakers, there remain many lessons to be learned about the opportunities and challenges posed by this new technological twist on auto traffic.On this episode, Shane is joined by Grayson Brulte, co-founder of Brulte & Company — a Florida-based consulting firm that helps AV innovators develop and market their products. Recently, Grayson has discussed the future of self...
2021-04-2026 min
The Road to AutonomyCyber IntelligenceBryan Hurd, Vice President, Chief of Office, Aon Cyber Solutions (Stroz Friedberg) joined Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss the current state of cybersecurity and why cyber intelligence is critically important for Governments and Publicly Traded Companies.The conversation begins with Bryan discussing the founding of the U.S. Navy’s First Cyber-Counterintelligence Program at Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). Expanding upon the founding of the program, Bryan goes onto discuss Cliff Stoll, “Hanover hackers” and nation-state cyber attacks.Then there is the emerging threat of the non-nation state of hackers which are hav...
2021-04-1450 min
The Road to AutonomyAugmented Reality: Window To The WorldChen-Ping Yu, Co-Founder & CEO, Phiar joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss why augmented reality is the window to the world.The conversation begins with Chen-Ping discussing his time at Stony Brook University followed by Harvard. At Harvard, Chen-Ping was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Cognitive and Neural Lab where he studied the brain.I had the pleasure to work with a group of cognitive and neural scientists to combine what they have learned about the brain with deep-learning computer vision. – Chen-Ping YuIt was during his time driving...
2021-03-3038 min
The Road to AutonomyThe New Economy of MovementChris Ballinger, Founder & CEO, MOBI (Mobility Open Blockchain Initiative) joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss the new economy of movement.The conversation begins with Chris discussing international economics, monetary economics, and private money.Marginalism. The idea that prices are determined on the margin. That it is the margin that matters. It’s the marginal transaction that determines the cost, the opportunity, the opportunity cost. – Chris BallingerWith over 28 years of experience in the finance industry, Chris shares his thoughts on digital currency and the potential impact of regulation on digit...
2021-03-2342 min
The Road to AutonomyAutomating Grocery DeliveryPradeep Elankumaran, Co-Founder & CEO of Farmstead joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss automating grocery delivery.The conversation begins with Pradeep sharing how bad experiences with grocery delivery led to the founding of Farmstead. Armed with an idea, Pradeep posted the idea on Nextdoor Mountain View to see if there was a demand for his idea of a better grocery delivery experience. Indeed there was a demand. In 2 days, 200 new potential customers expressed interest in the idea.One of the key selling points to those potential Farmstead customers the substitution policy.W...
2021-02-2342 min
The Road to AutonomyData is the New Space RaceDr. Pippa Malmgren, Former Presidential Advisor, Economist, Best-Selling Author, and Policy Analyst joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss why data is the new space race.The conversation begins with Pippa sharing insight into what her father, Mr. Harald Malmgren, a senior advisor to four consecutive U.S. Presidents (President John F. Kennedy, President Lyndon Johnson, President Richard Nixon, and President Gerald Ford) taught her about relationships.My dad taught me how important it is to have trusted relationships even with people who are your opponents. – Dr. Pippa MalmgrenWhen...
2021-02-0236 min
The Road to AutonomyThermal Imaging: Making Roads SaferJohn Eggert, Automotive Business Development, FLIR Systems joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss how thermal imaging is making roads safer.The conversation begins with John sharing his thoughts on the current state of the autonomous vehicle industry while looking back to 2015 when he first started his career in the industry.[The industry] has become a lot more professional. – John EggertToday, the industry as a whole is spending money more wisely. It’s maturing, but certain companies still do not have a path to profitability. Expanding upon this, Grayson...
2020-12-3139 min
The Road to AutonomyWhat’s Next: Insight from an Angel InvestorJoshua Schachter, Investor, and Founder of Self Racing Cars joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss what’s next and the current state of investing in the private markets.The conversation begins with Joshua sharing his thoughts on new trends that he is starting to see emerge and his philosophy regarding investing. One of his key investment traits is the emotional deal in which he invests based on his gut and intuition.Out of the two-hundred plus companies [that I have invested in] this has probably happened 6,7,8 times, but 5 of those have I...
2020-12-1542 min
The Road to AutonomyMobility SPACs: Hype or Reality?David Welch, Detroit Bureau Chief, Bloomberg joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss the mobility SPAC market.The conversation begins with David sharing his thoughts on the current state of the mobility SPAC market. He brings up the valid point of who is conducting the scouting and due diligence on the deals.Grayson then asks David about the supposed due diligence that Steve Girsky’s VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. did prior to merging with Nikola and taking the company public via a SPAC transaction. Building upon that conversation, David talks about the in-pro...
2020-11-0346 min
The Road to AutonomyCalifornia's Electric FutureRuss Mitchell who covers the rapidly changing global auto industry (with special emphasis on California, including Tesla, electric vehicles, and driverless cars) at The Los Angeles Times once again joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss California’s Electric Future.The conversation begins with a discussion about California Governor Newsom’s executive order to phase out gasoline-powered cars. Why this was politically savvy to appeal to the climate front, but the uncertainly that this will cause around the economics as an electric vehicle costs on average 30% more than a gasoline-powered car.Grayson a...
2020-10-2044 min
The Road to AutonomyGlobal Perspective on Mobility and CitiesJohn Rossant, Founder & CEO of Commotion and Chairman of the NewCities Foundation joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast for a global conversation about mobility and cities.The conversation begins with a discussion around public transportation in Paris, New York, and Los Angeles. Grayson and John discuss the culture of cities and why this is one of the main defining factors of how and why public transportation is used in cities around the world.From a discussion around culture and public transportation, Grayson shifts the conversation back to Paris where John started his career...
2020-10-0647 min
The Road to AutonomyDeveloping an Autonomous FutureGopal Rajegowda, Senior Vice President at Related and a Managing Partner of Related Urban-Southeast joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast to discuss how Related is developing for an autonomous future. In this episode, Grayson and Gopal discuss reimagining City Place in West Palm Beach, FL into Rosemary Square and the future of retail experiences.Gopal touches on the work Related did with Gehl to reimage public spaces, optimize green spaces, walkability all the while ensuring that the environment is welcoming and approachable for all ages. Continuing the conversation, Grayson and Gopal discuss the rumor...
2020-04-0230 min
The Road to AutonomyHenry Morrison Flagler and The Future of Mobility in FloridaChristopher Emmanuel, Director of Infrastructure & Governance Policy and Director of Autonomous Florida, Florida Chamber of Commerce joins Grayson Brulte on The Road To Autonomy Podcast following an afternoon spent at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, FL.On the inaugural episode of The Road To Autonomy, Grayson Brulte sits down with Christopher Emmanuel, Director of Infrastructure & Governance Policy and Director of Autonomous Florida to discuss the innovations that Henry Morrison Flagler developed with The Florida East Coast Railway/Florida East Coast Hotel Companies and the impact that Flagler’s legacy has had on Florida.Bu...
2020-03-1029 min
Beyond Streets#050: AVs, Brands, and Trust - Grayson Brulte, Brulte & Co and Mike Scrudato, Munich Re (at AVS19)Will there be a Napster of Mobility? SAFE Greg and Pete met up with Grayson Brulte (Brulte & Co.) and Mike Scrudato (Munich Re) at AVS 2019 to discuss the importance of brand trust for the adoption of AVs. In this episode we discuss the importance of branding for new technologies and Munich Re's new product, AVerified, which is meant to build trust in AVs through third-party verification.Keep up with Grayson on Twitter @GBrulte and on his website: https://www.brulteco.com/Keep up with Mike on Twitter @MJSdado3.As always, you can also keep up with the Mobility Podcast on...
2019-08-3038 min