The Road to Autonomy

Grayson Brulte
  • 4.8 (31)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

How would you feel if the transport truck beside you on the highway had no driver? Or the car passing beside you had no driver? Would it make a difference if the widespread deployment of autonomous trucks could ease supply chain problems almost overnight and that autonomous vehicles do not get distracted or speed? And would you feel better if you knew autonomous trucks and vehicles could reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent or more. Learn more from world's leading mobility experts on The Road to Autonomy®, an ahead-of-the-curve podcast hosted by Grayson Brulte.

  1. Scaling Robotaxis, Hybrid Networks and Fleet Management Globally with Lyft

    3D AGO

    Scaling Robotaxis, Hybrid Networks and Fleet Management Globally with Lyft

    Jeremy Bird, Executive Vice President, Global Growth at Lyft joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the company’s strategic partnership with Waymo in Nashville and the deployment of a hybrid network that integrates human drivers with autonomous vehicles. The operational backbone of this strategy is FlexDrive. A best-in-class operation that manages depots, charging, and maintenance for robotaxis. FlexDrive gives Lyft the operational rigor needed to scale robotaxis globally. In Nashville, FlexDrive is supporting the Waymo partnership, while in Europe, Lyft is utilizing FlexDrive to power expansion, including a key partnership with Baidu in the UK and Europe. Looking ahead, Jeremy envisions a marketplace defined by customer obsession where luxury experiences and robotaxis coexist, utilizing operational excellence to fuel future growth. Episode Chapters 0:00 Lyft's Partnership with Waymo in Nashville 4:44 Robotaxi Fleets & Depots 8:50 Freenow 11:15 Deploying Robotaxis in the UK and Europe 14:41 Autonomous Vehicle Policy in Europe 17:35 Expanding Robotaxi Deployments in Europe 19:05 Baidu Partnership 23:09 Global Robotaxi Partnerships & Lyft's Marketplace 26:04 Luxury Market 27:53 Future of Lyft Recorded on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 -------- About The Road to Autonomy The 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/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    29 min
  2. Autonomy Markets: Uber's Autonomy Myths and Realities, Waymo's Capital Raise and Miami Depots

    6D AGO

    Autonomy Markets: Uber's Autonomy Myths and Realities, Waymo's Capital Raise and Miami Depots

    This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s repricing of the robotaxi market with a $16 billion raise at a $126 billion valuation, Uber’s defensive Myths and Realities earnings supplement, and the launch of a new segment, The Pit Stop. The conversation heats up as Walt and Grayson debate Uber’s claim that autonomous vehicle growth is not a zero-sum game, with Grayson arguing that personal ownership and dedicated autonomous vehicle networks will eat into Uber’s market share while, Walt defends the narrative of total market expansion. While Uber attempts to debunk autonomous vehicle myths, Grayson puts on his inspector hat for the inaugural Pit Stop segment, revealing exclusive details about Waymo’s Miami depot infrastructure, including a depot under construction near the airport and the strategic placement of fleet operations near the Design District. Looking at the broader regulatory landscape, Grayson and Walt analyze recent Senate testimony where Waymo disclosed their use of remote assistance based in the Philippines, a move Walt classifies as an unforced error during a push for a National Autonomous Vehicle Framework. On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, they highlight the Middle East becoming a beachhead for scale with Baidu going driver-out in Dubai and WeRide partnering with Uber, noting the region is likely the only place where US and Chinese robotaxis will coexist for the time being. Episode Chapters 0:00 Waymo Raises $16 Billion at a $126bn Valuation 2:35 Waymo World Powered by DeepMind 6:43 Uber's Myths and Realities 29:03 The Pit Stop: The Inspector Goes to Miami 39:02 The Pit Stop: Tesla's San Francisco Robotaxi Depot Gets Blocked 41:38 AVs Need Clear Rules of the Road U.S. Senate Hearing 48:01 Bedrock Robotics Raises $270 million 50:28 Foreign Autonomy Desk 55:04 Next Week Recorded on Friday, February 6, 2026 -------- About The Road to Autonomy The 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/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    56 min
  3. Autonomy Markets: 12,961 Tesla FSD Supervised Miles, Zero Interventions & Unsupervised Robotaxis in Austin

    FEB 4

    Autonomy Markets: 12,961 Tesla FSD Supervised Miles, Zero Interventions & Unsupervised Robotaxis in Austin

    This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk are joined by their first-ever guest, David Moss, to discuss his 12,961-mile zero-intervention drive across the country on Tesla FSD, the reality of the Unsupervised Robotaxi rollout in Austin, and the commercial viability of LiDAR sensors in consumer vehicles. The conversation heats up as Walt questions David, a LiDAR LiDAR Salesman on whether the massive data processing requirements of LiDAR could introduce latency, potentially citing a recent Waymo incident involving a child as a case study. David argues that while LiDAR offers theoretical range advantages, the compute wall and cost constraints make it a one-trick pony compared to the scalability of a vision-only stack. While the group debates sensor suites, David shares his on-the-ground experience in Austin, revealing it took 58 attempts to finally secure a ride in a Unsupervised Tesla Robotaxi, and confirmed the fleet is being retrofitted with new cleaning jets for the camera sensors to handle weather occlusion. Looking at the broader robotaxi market, the trio analyzes their Zoox experiences at CES, with David noting the vehicle’s braking was significantly harsher than Waymo or Tesla FSD, while Walt highlights the motion sickness challenges inherent in the vehicle’s carriage-style seating configuration. In Prediction Corner, the group debates the timeline for Tesla removing the safety driver on highways, with David offering a bullish forecast for Memorial Day, while Walt and Grayson take a more conservative stance, predicting a rollout closer to late 2026. Episode Chapters 0:00 Coast to Coast Fully Autonomous in a Tesla Model 3 10:49 The Next Record 12:16 FSD Unsupervised in Austin 16:16 Waymo Experience on Uber in Austin 17:17 Robotaxi Safety Attendants 19:44 Unsupervised Robotaxi Service Area 21:43 Sensor Cleaning 26:05 Robotaxi, No Highways in Austin, Yet 32:11 Zoox Las Vegas Experiences 37:13 LiDAR 48:07 Why Autonomy Recorded on Tuesday, February 3, 2026 -------- About The Road to Autonomy The 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/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    51 min
  4. Texas Energy as the Global Stabilizer from Venezuelan Oil to the AI Boom

    FEB 3

    Texas Energy as the Global Stabilizer from Venezuelan Oil to the AI Boom

    Dean Foreman, Chief Economist at the Texas Oil and Gas Association joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the evolving landscape of global oil markets and the critical intersection of natural gas and artificial intelligence. With sanctions lifted on Venezuela, the conversation analyzes the flow of heavy crude to the US Gulf Coast, noting the potential need for over $200 billion in investment to restore Venezuela’s production capacity. Dean explains how US refiners are capitalizing on this heavy feedstock while simultaneously navigating a global market where the US has surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia as a leading energy producer. Looking toward the future of energy demand, the discussion identifies natural gas as a stabilizing force for the power grid, essential for supporting the exponential growth of data centers and generative AI. By co-locating power generation with data infrastructure in West Texas, the industry is leveraging record efficiencies to fuel The Road to Autonomy and ensure long-term economic resilience. Episode Chapters 0:00 Venezuela 7:25 Increasing Global Demand for Oil 9:08 Petroleum Byproducts 11:39 Oil and Natural Gas Exports 13:40 Permian Basin 16:11 Infrastructure Buildout 22:11 Oil and Natural Gas Impact on Texas’ Economy 25:01 Automation & AI 27:52 U.S. Consumer 34:00 Next Quarter Recorded on Tuesday, January 20, 2026 -------- About The Road to Autonomy The 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/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    36 min
  5. Autonomy Markets: Waymo's LiDAR Controversy, Tesla’s Mega Merger, and Waabi’s Pivot to Robotaxis

    JAN 31

    Autonomy Markets: Waymo's LiDAR Controversy, Tesla’s Mega Merger, and Waabi’s Pivot to Robotaxis

    This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s LiDAR controversy following an incident in a Santa Monica school zone, the potential of a mega merger between Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI, and Waabi’s $750 million capital raise to pivot into robotaxis. The conversation heats up as Walt and Grayson debate the efficacy of LiDAR versus camera-only approaches, questioning if sensor fusion latency contributed to the Waymo incident where a child ran out from behind a vehicle. While Waymo handles the incident in Santa Monica, Tesla is further accelerating their shift to an autonomy/robotics company by shutting down Model S and Model X lines for Optimus Gen 3 humanoids. Looking at the broader market, Grayson and Walt analyze Waabi’s strategic expansion from trucking into robotaxis, with Walt drawing parallels to early industry pivots and Grayson questioning the viability of managing two distinct autonomy programs. On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, they highlight Waymo’s recent launch party in London, noting the imported vehicles still feature American driving configurations, and discuss Pony.ai’s partnership to deploy 3,000 robotaxis in mainland China. Episode Chapters 0:00 Waymo Opens SFO Airport Access 5:45 Waymo’s Santa Monica Incident 16:27 Tesla Earnings and New Robotaxi Markets 22:04 David Moss’ Austin Robotaxi Adventures 24:12 Robotaxi’s Enhanced Camera Cleaning System 26:38 Inspector Uncovers, Walt Warns 27:43 The Potential Great Elon Merger 30:35 Waabi Raises $750m, Pivots to Robotaxis 39:27 Does Uber Reboot ATG? 42:55 Plus AI Analyst Day 50:01 Foreign Autonomy Desk 53:18 Next Week Recorded on Friday, January 30, 2026 -------- About The Road to Autonomy The 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/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    54 min
  6. Taking PlusAI Public

    JAN 27

    Taking PlusAI Public

    David Liu, CEO of PlusAI joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discus taking the company public and their strategic roadmap for commercializing autonomous trucking. As Plus AI prepares to complete their merger with Churchill Capital Corp IX in early February, the conversation explores the shift from fleet trials to an asset-light software model that empowers Traton to build factory-integrated autonomous trucks powered by the Plus virtual driver.  By training a single AI driver on a vast, globally diverse dataset, encompassing conditions from snowy Sweden to the Texas Triangle, Plus AI is developing a scalable technology stack designed to safely automate the global freight industry, as the company targets a 2027 commercial launch.  Episode Chapters 0:00 Going Public 1:33 Fleet Trials 6:01 Driver-Out Decision 7:56 Traton Partnership 11:27 Redundant Chassis 14:01 Public Milestones 16:43 Asset Ownership 18:14 Expanding in Spain and Japan 23:00 Real-world Driving Data 26:16 Simulation 27:43 Alpha Data 29:02 Traton R&D Investment 33:01 What to Watch For as PlusAI Goes Public Recorded on Friday, January 23, 2026 -------- About The Road to Autonomy The 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/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    34 min
  7. Autonomy Markets: Tesla Robotaxi Underwritten and Unleashed

    JAN 24

    Autonomy Markets: Tesla Robotaxi Underwritten and Unleashed

    This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla officially removing safety attendants from Robotaxis in Austin, Waymo’s commercial launch in Miami, and Serve Robotics’ strategic acquisition of Diligent Robotics. It finally happened. Tesla has removed safety attendants from a select group of vehicles in Austin. While this initial fleet is limited and operating in a specific geofence and utilizing chase cars, Grayson and Walt view this as a critical validation of the technology.  Looking ahead, Grayson predicts the operational domain will expand significantly in Austin over the next 60 days, with the Phoenix metro region slated as the next target market for deployment. As Tesla went safety attendant-out, Waymoopened the Miami market for limited commercial service within a 60-square-mile area, with one major caveat, no Miami Beach.  On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss Geely’s plan to deploy 100,000 methanol-powered robotaxis in China and the South Korean government’s selection of Gwangju as the nation’s first dedicated autonomous vehicle testing zone. Episode Chapters 0:00 Tesla Removes Safety Attendant in Austin 9:19 Operational Efficiency 10:33 Alex Roy Goes Coast-to-Coast with Zero FSD Interventions 14:15 Drive on FSD, Get a Discount 18:25 FSD is Expanding as Prices are Increasing 23:31 New Robotaxi Markets 24:53 Waymo Launches Miami Markets 28:33 Vandalizing Waymo's 32:20 Serve Robotics Acquires Diligent Robotics 36:41 Foreign Autonomy Desk 39:21 Next Week Recorded on Friday, January 23, 2026 -------- About The Road to Autonomy The 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/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    41 min
  8. Who Insures the Personally Owned Robotaxi Fleet?

    JAN 20

    Who Insures the Personally Owned Robotaxi Fleet?

    Sergey Litvinenko, Co-Founder & CEO of Koop, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the financial and operational structures required to insure fleets of personally owned autonomous vehicles. As Tesla prepares to scale the Cybercab in 2026, the conversation explores the shift from personal ownership to personally owned fleets, where individuals form companies to own and operate commercial robotaxi businesses. During the episode, Sergey explains how the insurance P&L for a fleet owner is transformed by real-world behavior data, which serves as a more accurate risk predictor than traditional human-centric metrics. By leveraging high-fidelity data and specialized subrogation models, Koop is developing a framework that manages liability between the fleet owner and the vehicle manufacturer, clearing the path for the Autonomy Economy to scale through third-party ownership. Episode Chapters 0:00 The Emergence of the Tesla Network  3:07 Insuring Cybercab and Personally-Owned Teslas 8:59 Insuring and Deploying Personally-Owned Autonomous Vehicle Fleets 22:50 Insurance Underwriting Capacity  25:22 Insurance Products  27:50 Changing Driving Habits 31:14 Reinsurance 32:30 Liability with No Pedals and Steering Wheel  38:38 Fleet Management  41:55 Future of Insuring Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Operations Recorded on Friday, January 16, 2026 -------- About The Road to Autonomy The 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/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    43 min
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4.8
out of 5
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About

How would you feel if the transport truck beside you on the highway had no driver? Or the car passing beside you had no driver? Would it make a difference if the widespread deployment of autonomous trucks could ease supply chain problems almost overnight and that autonomous vehicles do not get distracted or speed? And would you feel better if you knew autonomous trucks and vehicles could reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent or more. Learn more from world's leading mobility experts on The Road to Autonomy®, an ahead-of-the-curve podcast hosted by Grayson Brulte.

Information

  • Creator
    Grayson Brulte
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    370
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AUTNMY AI, Inc. | All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    The Road to Autonomy

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