The Road to Autonomy

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk headed to Dallas to attend Forward Fort Worth. While in town, they rode in several Waymos and in Uber’s autonomous vehicle partners Avride and May Mobility, and discovered two Waymo depots in Dallas.The Waymo driver in Dallas was noticeably more cautious than in the Bay Area or Miami, but overall a great experience. While riding around in Waymos, Grayson discovered two depots on opposite ends of downtown Dallas. One appeared to be a temporary depot with portable charging, while the other was not yet operational but had charging infrastructure built out with a design matching Waymo’s Santa Monica and Miami depots.While Grayson rode around in Waymos, Walt headed to Arlington for an update on May Mobility’s progress. He noticed a smoother ride than his prior experience last year, though he still encountered heavy braking. Last but not least, both Grayson and Walt successfully ordered Avride robotaxis on the Uber X tier after a Dallas police officer pointed Grayson to the best spot to get matched with an AV on the Uber platform.Closing out the show, Grayson and Walt discuss Nissan’s autonomous vehicle strategy through its Wayve partnership and Zoox’s upcoming Miami and Atlanta launches, while reigniting the LiDAR versus vision debate.Episode Chapters00:00 Forward Fort Worth02:47 Waymo in Dallas: Ride Experience and Depot Discoveries12:25 May Mobility in Arlington: Ride Experience & Uber Launch Timeline16:45 Avride in Dallas: Ride Experience21:49 Uber's Multi-Partner Strategy30:27 Nissan's Autonomous Vehicle Strategy33:18 Zoox's Pending Miami & Atlanta Launches36:11 LiDAR vs. Vision Debate41:50 Tesla Robotaxis in Dallas43:28 Foreign Autonomy Desk48:36 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, March 27, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.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.

This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Tesla Optimus delays driven by China’s rare earth export controls, the EU’s push to slow AI regulation and what it means for autonomous vehicles, and Waymo’s potential expansion into Canada.China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has classified humanoid robot actuator components as dual-use technology, requiring foreign manufacturers to share technical specifications to obtain export licenses. Tesla relies on Chinese suppliers for the specialized rare earth magnets that give Optimus its 22-degree hand dexterity, and with China controlling 90% of that supply, delays could persist.AUTNMY AI’s proprietary AI algorithm, OMEGA, analyzed the impact of a potential export ban, which could increase the price from $46,000 to produce Optimus parts in China to $133,000 if all production moves to America. If this were to happen, it would lead to a delay in Optimus, and this is further compounded by an FTC investigation into whether over 60% Chinese component content disqualifies Tesla’s made-in-America branding.Then there is the MIIT’s March 2nd humanoid robot standardization directive, which requires Chinese suppliers to prioritize domestic manufacturers such as Unitree and Xiaomi over foreign customers including Tesla, which creates an additional supplier prioritization risk on top of the export control risk.Closing out the show, Grayson and Rob discuss Waymo’s potential Canadian expansion, examining lobbying records that show Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana met with Toronto council staff to discuss ride-hail, goods delivery, and commercial operating authorizations. OMEGA also discovered lobbying records showing Waymo has been lobbying British Columbia to change the laws to allow L4 autonomous vehicles, pointing to a potential Vancouver expansion.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI00:24 Signal 1: Potenial Tesla Optimus Gen 3 Delay23:35 Signal 2: Europe Delays Classifying L4 Autonomous Vehicles as High Risk48:45 Signal 3: Waymo Eyes Canadian Expansion51:29 Closing--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: 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.

Tete Xiao, VP of Engineering and AI, Bot Auto joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy to discuss the fundamental shift from virtual AI to the physical AI required for commercial autonomous trucking.Tete co-authored Segment Anything, the landmark paper that ushered in the era of specific models to an era of foundation models that generalize across large segments of data. This approach which he is implementing at Bot Auto, enables the company to move beyond the limitations of previous technology, treating autonomous trucking as a compute-driven challenge where the system learns to navigate the complex physics of driving a truck.To ensure safety, Bot Auto is utilizing a top-down redundancy architecture that mirrors aviation’s triple autopilot systems. Including dual onboard computers and independent software stacks running parallel algorithms with deliberately different logic to prevent a single failure from propagating through the system.This spring, Bot Auto is planning to launch fully autonomous commercial operations with Ryan Transportation on the Houston to Dallas corridor. No safety driver. No safety observer. No human in the cab.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI00:25 Segment Anything05:04 Virtual AI to Physical AI09:08 Redundancy and Aviation-Inspired Architecture13:40 Hardware and Software17:00 Launching Fully Autonomous Operations20:00 Foundation Models and Reinforcement Learning27:52 Compute Infrastructure35:22 Staying Ahead42:30 Building a Virtual Driver47:06 AGI48:36 Transportation Company53:59 Future of Bot Auto--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: 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.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss NVIDIAs autonomous driving ambitions, Uber's Rivian robotaxi deal, and what all of these deals will eventually mean for the robotaxi market.It appears that NVIDIA is aiming to become the Android of autonomous driving, signing up OEMs and positioning itself as a platform provider while insisting it is not the solutions provider. Uber, which has a deal with NVIDIA, clearly wants to be a robotaxi solutions partner, as yhey are actively preparing to deploy NVIDIA-powered robotaxis in 28 cities by 2028 across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.Then there is the surprise Uber/Rivian deal, which will see Uber invest up to $1.25 billion into Rivian with $300 million upfront and four milestone payments based on undisclosed achievements of certain autonomous milestones by specific dates.Closing out the show, Grayson and Walt discuss Waymo's milestone of surpassing 170 million fully autonomous miles with no safety drivers, Nuro's growing robotaxi test fleet, and the Foreign Autonomy Desk.Episode Chapters00:00 NVIDIA GTC04:06 Jensen Huang; NVIDIA is Not a Solutions Provider11:23 Uber/NVIDIA Partnership25:52 Uber/Rivian Robotaxi Deal32:02 Waymo: 170m+ Autonomous Miles and Counting33:01 Foreign Autonomy Desk34:44 Next Week Recorded on Friday, March 20, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.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.

Danny Bernstein, Founder & CEO, Reservoir joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Physical AI and the growing role it is playing in agriculture.Currently, less than 2% of this high-value agricultural sector is automated, creating a significant growth opportunity that Reservoir is positioned to capture through a startup incubator specifically designed for Physical AI and specialty crops.By utilizing a 40-acre farm in Salinas paired with an adjacent 6,000-square-foot prototyping studio, Reservoir offers startups immediate access to a commercial testing ground. This infrastructure eliminates the traditional six-to-nine-month delay between raising venture capital and deploying on a real farm, allowing founders to roll their machines directly into the field.Reservoir’s methodology emphasizes deep rural integration to solve complex labor and economic challenges. By encouraging founders to immerse themselves in local farming communities, Reservoir helps startups build trust and fit their solutions into existing agricultural cost structures. This approach has enabled successful innovations ranging from AI-powered drones for bird mitigation to specialized disease detection for vineyards.Reservoir’s Physical AI ecosystem functions as the Olympic Village of Ag Tech, hosting dense cohorts of international and domestic startups working side by side. This collaborative environment enables companies to share foundational technologies while gaining direct access to major agricultural incumbents and corporate partners.To further fuel this ecosystem, Reservoir operates a $50 million early-stage venture fund dedicated to ag tech and Physical AI applications.Looking ahead, Danny envisions Reservoir expanding to five or six locations across the American West, with active and planned sites in Sonoma County, the Central Valley, Washington State, and Arizona.By elevating ag tech’s position within the global autonomy economy, Reservoir aims to drive double-digit automation adoption within five years, fundamentally transforming rural workforce development and securing the global food supply.Episode Chapters00:00 Less than 2% of Specialty Crop Agriculture is Automated07:32 Physical AI on Farms13:35 The Six to Nine Month Farm Access Problem18:49 Inside Reservoir Farms26:01 The Olympic Village of Ag Tech32:29 Building Trust with Farmers43:19 The Growth of Automation and Autonomy on Farms47:50 The Future of Automation and Autonomy on Farms--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: 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.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss their field work in Austin, Texas, where they rode in a Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi and walked the Cybercab production line at Giga Texas.Together they experienced Tesla's unsupervised roboataxi operations in Austin, specifically the moment they hailed and rode in a fully unsupervised Tesla Robotaxi with no safety attendant and no chase car. Grayson and Walt noted the vehicle's smooth performance, its routing differences versus supervised rides, and the absence of Mad Max or Hurry driving modes in unsupervised operation.his led to a broader discussion on Tesla's Cybercab production readiness, with both noting that Tesla appears prepared to scale. The conversation then shifts to the competitive landscape, examining Uber's big week of autonomous vehicle partnership announcements and the company's positioning relative to Tesla, Waymo, and the broader autonomy economy.Closing out the conversation, Grayson and Walt discuss Waymo's expanding footprint, the structural advantages Tesla holds through its charging infrastructure and factory integration, and what the Cybercab ramp means for the autonomy economy.Episode Chapters00:00 Riding in a Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi5:45 Robotaxi Ride Experiences (Both Supervised and Unsupervised)11:25 Tesla's Austin Depot19:58 Walking the Cybercab Production Line at Giga Texas26:43 Waymo in Austin29:24 Uber Needs an Autonomous Vehicle Tier31:07 Uber's Big Week of Partnership Announcements42:52 Zoox's Sudden Change in Narrative51:53 Wayve Partners with Qualcomm53:34 U.S. DOT is Embracing Autonomy56:44 Autonomous Trucking1:02:00 Foreign Autonomy Desk1:02:43 Next week Recorded on Friday, March 13, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.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.

Matthew Carey, Co-Founder & CEO, Teradar, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the company's emergence from stealth with $150 million in funding and the creation of a brand-new category of terahertz (THz) sensors.The operational backbone of Teradar’s strategy is a Terahertz Detection and Ranging (Rad-AR) approach that fills the gap between LiDAR and radar on the electromagnetic spectrum. By utilizing a modular architecture of Lego-like transmitter and receiver chips, the system provides the high-resolution point cloud typically associated with lidar while maintaining the all-weather robustness and velocity-sensing Doppler capabilities of radar. This solid-state design allows the sensor to be hidden behind vehicle bumpers or polymers, eliminating the need for bulky roof-mounted hardware.In the field, Teradar is rigorously applying its technology to solve the weather casino problem, proving the system's robustness in the heavy rain, snow, and dense fog of Boston. Unlike traditional vision or LiDAR systems that struggle with atmospheric particulates, Teradar's longer wavelengths can bend around rain and dust, ensuring consistent performance in environments where humans or other sensors might fail.Teradar’s Physical AI ecosystem also includes a defense-grade application that provides situational awareness in combat environments without being easily detected. The atmosphere effectively blocks the sensor’s signal beyond its intended range, allowing it to operate in dense traffic or military zones without jamming other sensors or revealing a vehicle's position to hostile actors.Looking ahead, Matt envisions a future where high-performance sensing reaches a mass-market inflection point by becoming affordable enough for every vehicle, from a Mercedes S-Class to a Ford Focus. By partnering with Tier 1 suppliers rather than vertically integrating, Teradar aims to scale to millions of units, fundamentally transforming the industry by delivering a sensor stack that costs hundreds, not thousands of dollars.Episode Chapters00:00 Teradar Emerges from Stealth03:01 Limitations of Existing Sensor Technologies05:54 Introducing Terahertz Sensing08:00 Defense and Battlefield Applications11:11 Modular Sensor Architecture17:00 Early Development and Startup Challenges26:54 Why Teradar Chose Boston36:11 Autonomous Vehicles and Weather46:06 Scaling Teradar--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Subscribe today for free: 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.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walt Piecyk discuss Grayson’s recent field work in Silicon Valley and Walt’s observations in London.Together they examine Waymo’s technical milestones, specifically Grayson’s first-hand experience on the highway and at SFO. During Grayson’s ride from SFO to Mountain View, he noted the vehicle’s smooth performance across three lanes, its strict adherence to speed limits, and a rare instance of Waymo using its horn when it was cut off.This leads to a broader discussion on Waymo’s rapid Miami expansion and their choice of fleet management partners. The conversation then shifts towards the competitive landscape and Grayson’s attempt to use the Tesla’s robotaxi app in the Valley, which was hampered by wait times exceeding 25 minutes.Over in London, Walt reported on the skepticism of London’s black taxi drivers regarding Waymo’s efforts in the UK. Closing out the conversation they discussed Glydways expansion in Atlanta and Newark.Episode Chapters00:00 Silicon Valley and London Field Work18:40 Google Gemini20:59 Waymo in London25:27 Waymo's Miami Beach Expansion29:16 Waymo's Fleet Management Strategy 31:55 Autonomous Vehicles in Virginia, Not This Year34:56 Waabi's Robotaxi Messaging 39:06 Glydways Expansion 42:47 Foreign Autonomy Desk43:26 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, March 6, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.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.

Igal Raichelgauz, Founder & CEO, Autobrains joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the company's strategic partnership with VinFast and the development of an affordable, scalable robo-car.The operational backbone of Autobrains’ strategy is a Thinking AI approach that utilizes an agentic architecture rather than traditional monolithic models. By using a library of specific skills that can be added incrementally, the system scales from basic safety features to full autonomy without requiring massive data retraining or excessive computational power.In the field, Autobrains is rigorously applying its technology to the VinFast VF 8 and VF 9 models, proving the system's robustness in some of the world's most complex driving environments, such as the congested streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. Autobrains utilizes a vision-only approach that mimics human perception to navigate urban traffic, heavy rain, and high-speed highways.Autobrains’ Physical AI ecosystem also includes an air to road localization system, which uses compressed satellite imagery signatures to provide 10-centimeter positioning accuracy. Allowing the vehicle to localize itself globally and understand lane boundaries or construction sites without relying on expensive, high-maintenance HD maps.Looking ahead, Igal envisions a future where autonomous driving reaches a mass-market inflection point within the next five years. This evolution aims to fundamentally transform the industry by delivering a fully autonomous robo-car at a $30,000 price point, enabling every vehicle to become a revenue-generating asset that increases safety and gives time back to the consumer.Episode Chapters00:00 How the VinFast Deal Came Together03:16 Skills-Based Agentic AI Architecture 07:16 Six Cameras, 360° Coverage, Low Compute 09:37 Air-to-Road: Satellite Imagery Replaces HD Maps12:40 Robo-car Vision 15:10 The $30K Fully Autonomous Car 20:20 The Thinking Layer24:22 20 Teraflops, Sub-20ms Latency, Edge Computing 27:58 No Lidar: The Vision-Only Thesis 28:59 The Future of Autobrains--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Subscribe today for free: 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.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Uber’s new Autonomous Vehicle Solutions initiative, Waymo’s growing markets, and the growth of Physical AI powered by NVIDIA.As Uber’s stock languishes in the low seventies due to investor overhang about the future of autonomy, the company announced Uber Autonomous Solutions, a new initiative to support the growth of autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform.Grayson and Walt break down the initiative point by point, examining Uber’s strategy of providing training data, enriched mapping, venue management, and autonomous vehicle insurance. While Grayson views much of the in-car experience pitch as buzzword Alley, Walt argues that AV mission control and fleet management are the true meat of Uber’s strategy, aiming to provide the critical API for a fragmented market. This sparks a spirited debate on whether Uber is maintaining its asset-light identity or quietly creeping into asset-heavy operations by owning and operating robotaxi assets.The conversation then shifts to the geopolitical risks of Uber’s international partnerships, as the company recently hosted analysts in Abu Dhabi to meet with Chinese autonomous partners WeRide and Baidu. Grayson warns of the tremendous blowback and political risk this carries back home, especially given the current US administration’s active stance on social media regarding foreign technology.Walt and Grayson also discuss a recent broker report, shared by Uber CFO Balaji Krishnamurthy on X, that analyzed just 34 trips in Austin and claimed there is no cost advantage to autonomy. They call the sample size too small and the conclusions baffling given the obvious long-term benefits of removing human drivers.Contrasting Uber’s narrative tour, Waymo is aggressively scaling and growing revenue. This week, Waymo announced they have crossed 1 million fully autonomous freeway miles, expanded into Chicago and Charlotte, and opened up Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando to early riders.Notably, Uber was absent from these new market announcements, leading Grayson to point out the potentially waning relationship between the two companies. Furthermore, he put on his inspector hat to uncover signs of Waymo’s grand ambitions in the EU, citing meetings with the European Commission and job postings for EU regulatory counsel.As Waymo scales, the capital markets are flowing for autonomy investments, highlighted by Wayve securing a $1.2 billion check at an $8.6 billion valuation. The round includes investments from SoftBank, NVIDIA, Stellantis, and Nissan, with Uber committing to own and operate the Wayve fleet in 10 upcoming markets, starting with London.Then there is the growth of physical AI, which NVIDIA announced contributed $6 billion in earnings last quarter, with CFO Colette Kress signaling that robotaxis and humanoids are poised to be major growth markets over the next decade.Episode Chapters00:00 Uber's Identity Crisis 1:33 Breaking Down Uber Autonomous Solutions20:43 Uber's Abu Dhabi Analyst Day & Chinese Tech Risks 35:37 Waymo Announces Chicago & Charlotte as New Markets 40:55 Uber and Waymo's Waning Relationship 42:03 Waymo Surpasses 1 Million Fully Autonomous Freeway Miles43:56 Waymo Eyes the EU Expansion 46:32 Wayve's $1.2B Funding Round50:39 NVIDIA, Physical AI, & Humanoids 53:04 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, February 27, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.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.