Autonocast

By Autonocast

Technology Tech News

What's Autonocast about?

A weekly show discussing the future of transportation Alex Roy, Edward Niedermeyer, and Kirsten Korosec

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Autonocast episodes:

04.16.2024
#303: The Robotaxi Gambit
With Tesla's core EV business losing all growth momentum, Elon Musk once again appears to be gambling the most valuable automaker in the world on a driving automation tech play that is clearly not viable. The gang chews on this...
04.02.2024
#302: Picking Through The EV Startup Dumpster Fire
These are rough times for the once-hot world of EV startups, as the hype fades and reality sets in. On this week's episode the gang sifts through the rubble, finding a little good news (Lucid raised cash!) but a lot...
03.26.2024
#301: Adam Woodworth of Wing
Incubated inside Google's X project and now deploying in the real world, Wing is an aerial drone delivery company with some interesting parallels to another of Alphabet's "other bets" the gang regularly discuses: Waymo. But, as CEO Adam Woodworth explains,...
03.14.2024
#300: The Best of Times, and The Worst of Times
For our 300th episode, the gang sorts through the highs and lows of some of the recent mobility tech news. Rivian's reveal of two new forthcoming models shows that there's still a lot of excitement in EVs, even as tough...
03.05.2024
#299: Scott Keogh of Scout
Though the flood of EV startups may have receded, the Volkswagen-backed Scout electric truck and SUV startup is as bullish about the opportunity to start a new automaker as ever. Scout CEO Scott Keogh joins the show to explain the...
02.16.2024
#298: Talkin' EV Rental Blues
Ed's recent misadventure renting an electric car prompts the gang to share similar experiences, and consider what they might mean for EV adoption. Plus: discussion of Ford's new affordable EV skunkworks, Cruise's CPUC penalty hearing and Waymo's cyclist collision in...
02.01.2024
#297: Post-CES Recovery
After another epic CES party, The Autonocats nurse their hangovers and discuss the show's big trends and buzzwords. Join the first discussion episode of 2024, as the gang puzzles through mysteries like why CES is less consumer-facing than ever, what...
12.27.2023
#296: Year End Predictions
With another year coming to a close and another world famous Autonocast CES Party looming, the gang gathers for the annual tradition of exchanging predictions about mobility tech in the new year. Grab a holiday beverage, pull out your crystal...
12.14.2023
#295: Confessions of a Car Market Data Nerd with Tyson Jominy
With all the furor over the state of electric vehicle sales in the US, Ed and Kirsten called on Tyson Jominy, VP of data and analytics for JD Power, to find out what exactly is happening with the US auto...
12.07.2023
#294: Cruise After Kyle
With Cruise founder and CEO Kyle Vogt resigning, the gang gathers to hash out what it means for the Level 4 robotaxi company, its corporate parent General Motors, and the sector at large.
11.24.2023
#293: Levi Conlow of Lectric eBikes
Can you name an EV maker with rock-solid profits and consistent self-funded growth that has never taken a dollar of VC investment? If you've never heard of Lectric eBikes you're probably struggling to answer that question, but with founder and...
11.14.2023
#292: Cybertruck Yuks and Cruise Blues
The gang gathers to have a few laughs about the Tesla Cybertruck, before digging into the more serious topic of the situation at Cruise and the issues it has created for the entire autonomous vehicle sector.
10.26.2023
#291: Cruise In Crisis
With Cruise banned from testing and rides in the state of California following new revelations that the firm hid details of a pedestrian crash from the DMV, the gang huddles with Trucks VC partner and the godfather of The Autonocast...
10.23.2023
#290: Labor On Strike, Automation Under Fire
With Cruise under NHTSA investigation and a new survey showing lower than ever public confidence in AVs, the gang discusses AV skepticism, its causes, cures, and the (not coincidental?) resurgence of the UAW, among other topics.
10.09.2023
#289: Way Mo Cruise news and is the Mercedes L2 or L3, w/Philip Koopman?
Alex and Kirsten riff on the most recent robotaxi news before they head off to the Up Summit in Dallas. With Ed gone this week, the duo turned to CMU professor, engineer and autonomous vehicle safety expert Philip Koopman swung...
09.28.2023
#288 Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall
The gang catches up after a variety of trips, including to the Florida AV Summit. We take a final look back at summer (and some mobility shenanigans and news) now that fall is here.
08.29.2023
#287: The Battle of San Francisco
The long-simmering culture war between the high tech sector and the rest of the San Francisco Bay Area erupted around the issue of AVs in recent weeks, as the CPUC voted to expand robotaxi operations in the city. The gang...
08.10.2023
#286: It's Not The Heat, It's The Mobility
With Alex and Kirsten sweating it out in Arizona (and Ed staying smugly cool in Oregon), a conversation about cars and air conditioning leads the gang across a wide range of mobility topics. From the upcoming AV showdown at California's...
08.03.2023
#285: Dr Matt Markel of Spartan Radar
With Alex off on a secret mobility mission, Kirsten and Ed sit down with Matt Markel of the up-and-coming sensing startup Spartan Radar. The ensuing discussion covers the evolving automotive sensor market, the relationship between radar hardware and software, the...
07.27.2023
#284: A Midsummer News Discussion
There's been a whole lot of news since the gang last gathered to discuss the latest in mobility tech, so this week's episode is jam packed with topics. From the AV STEP program, Robotaxi PR and the evolution of the...
07.13.2023
#283: Roadtrippin' In An Electric Lightship
Lightship co-founders Toby Kraus and Ben Parker join part of our Autonocast crew to talk RVs and road trippin', EVs and how their experiences at Tesla influenced their new adventure.
06.29.2023
#282: Romain Clement of Teleo
After visiting Teleo's headquarters, Alex Roy insisted co-founder and CEO Romain Clement come on the show. And our conversation, which covers the highs and lows of the AV industry and Clement's new startup, doesn't disappoint.
06.22.2023
#281: NACS To The Future
With Ed's take on the future of Tesla's North American Charging Standard from the last discussion episode aging extremely poorly, the gang reopens the discussion about EV charging. Plus, Kirsten's participation in a new show on MAX, Alex's visit...
06.14.2023
#280: AV Wars and EV Peace
San Francisco is ground zero for a lot of the conflicts between the tech sector and society at large, and increasingly that conflict is centering on AVs. This week the gang discusses the technical and social factors at play, and...
06.06.2023
#279 Ali Javidan of Range Energy
Trucking has emerged as one of the most interesting and important areas for electrification, and Google/Tesla/Zoox veteran (and all-round car nut) Ali Javidan is in the thick of things with his startup Range Energy. Ali joins the show to explain...
04.27.2023
#278: EV Affordability, Sleeping at 60 MPH and Other Modern Mobility Issues
With the Shanghai auto show underway, Alex, Kirsten and Ed get together to discuss the latest developments and couldn't help but notice some contrasts. In another classic discussion episode the gang breaks down contrasts in EV affordability and the role...
04.13.2023
#277: Matt Teske of Chargeway
The transition to electric vehicles isn't simply a matter of technology, education and communication are critical aspects of developing new markets for all kinds of mobility. This week Matt Teske of Chargeway joins the show to discuss how his company...
03.30.2023
#276: Sad By Southwest (and Beyond)
Ed, Kirsten and Alex recently attended the South By Southwest festival, and though the event itself is recovering nicely from the pandemic, the tech sector presence is remarkably dialed back. This is especially noticeable in mobility tech, where the almost...
03.23.2023
#275 The state of AV trucks with Don Burnette of Kodiak Robotics
Don Burnette comes back to The Autonocast to give the gang an update on autonomous trucking, the broader AV industry and where his startup fits in.
03.15.2023
#274 Up, up and away with Cyrus Sigari of UP Partners
The gang chats with Cyrus Sigari, whose VC firm Up Partners recently released its first Moving World Report that dissects the macro and micro trends in mobility. The conversation goes far beyond the report though. Learn how up Partners got...
02.16.2023
#273 Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua on changing how we talk about automated driving
Mobileye founder, president and CEO Amnon Shashua has proposed a new way to describe automated driving. Alex, Ed and Kirsten dig into the topic and make a few new discoveries along the way.
02.09.2023
#272: Kelly Funkhouser on Consumer Reports Active Driving Assistance Ranking
Consumer Reports vehicle technology maven and friend of the show Kelly Funkhouser returns to discuss CR's new rankings for active driver assistance systems, the class of systems pioneered by Tesla Autopilot. Kelly explains why the ranking emphasizes collaborative and driver...
01.26.2023
#271: CES Meets Science Fiction
For CES this year, Ed decided to do something a little different, and invited two science fiction authors to check out the show, attend the infamous Autonocast party, and get an up-close look at the world of mobility tech. In...
01.20.2023
#270: Jan Becker of Apex AI
The story of automated driving often starts with the DARPA Challenges of 2004-07, but for Jan Becker the story starts well before then. On this week's episode, the AV pioneer and founder of Apex AI describes his own path through...
01.13.2023
#269: CES mobility nirvana or bust
The gang makes its annual trek to Las Vegas to check out and experience all of the mobility wonders at CES 2023. Does it impress? Blow our minds? Find out in this next episode when Alex, Ed and Kirsten rehash...
12.15.2022
#268: Francesca Favarò on Waymo's Human Fatigue Risk Managment Framework
How has emerging driving automation technology been developed and tested on public roads with such a relatively strong safety record? As Waymo's Francesca Favarò explains on this week's episode it has everything to do with the humans behind the wheel....
11.23.2022
#267: The News From La La Land
The crew was just back together for a week of car shows and conferences in Los Angeles, where they witnessed and discussed the very latest in mobility technology. On this week's episode they discuss it all, from the new Waymo/Zeekr...
11.14.2022
#266: It's the end of the self-driving car as we know it, and I feel fine
The gang is back to discuss some big changes in the AV world. Argo AI has shut down and Alex Roy is now adjusting back to life out of the corporate lane. Is the AV industry dead as some suggest?...
11.10.2022
#265: Lawyers on Demand with Jazz Hampton of TurnSignl
Ever been pulled over by police and wish you had a dashcam and a lawyer in the passenger seat? Ever been in a car crash and wondered what to do? Meet TurnSignl - a new app that provides attorneys-on-demand via...
10.12.2022
#264: Paris Marx on Silicon Valley's Road To Nowhere
Paris Marx is the host of the popular tech-critical podcast Tech Won't Save Us, and the author of a new book called Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation. On this week's episode, Paris...
09.23.2022
#263: There Are No Accidents with Jessie Singer
Jessie Singer's new book There Are No Accidents has made a big splash in the road safety community and far beyond, by interrogating a word that makes most people nod and move on: "accident." On this week's episode, Singer joins...
09.12.2022
#262: Home On The Range
Ed's latest essay in the New York Times, calling into question the big batteries that have made EVs so popular among American consumers (who can afford them), sparks a wide-ranging discussion in this week's episode. From battery supply chains to...
08.26.2022
#261: The Ranty (Mostly) Tesla Discussion Episode
Sometimes you just need to let it out and rant a bit, and this week Alex, Kirsten and Ed are each feeling the need to screed. Unsurprisingly a lot of this week's ranting is about Tesla, but the gang also...
08.19.2022
#260: The Non-Tesla Discussion Episode
The gang is back with another classic discussion episode, riffing on the latest and most important news from the mobility technology space. There's just one rule this time: no talking about Tesla. We'll be focusing on that topic next time...
08.11.2022
#259: Stefan Seltz-Axmacher of Polymath and Josh Hartung of Sygnal
With the AV sector entering another round of turmoil, we are joined by two founders who lost their startups during previous periods of turmoil but have come back to the driving automation space. Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, who previously appeared on The...
07.29.2022
#258: Nat Beuse of Aurora on "The S Word"
Safety is one of the words that comes up most often in discussions about autonomous vehicles, but not many people really understand what the word even means in this complex context. Nat Beuse, VP of Safety at Aurora not only...
07.21.2022
#257: Sam Anthony
Sam Anthony made his first appearance on The Autonocast in 2018, when we discussed his pedestrian intent/prediction startup Perceptive Automata in episode #98. He returns to the show for his first interview since the collapse of that company to reflect...
07.12.2022
#256: Bibhrajit Halder of SafeAI
Bibhrajit Halder has been a part of the autonomous driving technology space since the days of the DARPA Challenges, working on Caterpillar's early automated mining trucks before working at Ford, Apple and elsewhere. Now the founder and CEO of SafeAI,...
06.30.2022
#255: NHTSA's New Crash Data and the Challenge of Automated Driving Regulation
The gang is back together, and finally has the time to discuss NHTSA's release of ADAS and ADS crash data. We discuss the data, what it does and doesn't mean, and explore the challenges and paths forward for automated driving...
06.22.2022
#254: Gary Marcus
With the internet abuzz over the firing of a Google engineer who came to believe that a company chatbot is sentient, AI expert and deep learning skeptic Gary Marcus joins Alex and Ed to discuss the state of artificial intelligence....

What's Autonocast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Autonocast episodes:

#303: The Robotaxi Gambit

#302: Picking Through The EV Startup Dumpster Fire

#301: Adam Woodworth of Wing

#300: The Best of Times, and The Worst of Times

#299: Scott Keogh of Scout

#298: Talkin' EV Rental Blues

#297: Post-CES Recovery

#296: Year End Predictions

#295: Confessions of a Car Market Data Nerd with Tyson Jominy

#294: Cruise After Kyle

#293: Levi Conlow of Lectric eBikes

#292: Cybertruck Yuks and Cruise Blues

#291: Cruise In Crisis

#290: Labor On Strike, Automation Under Fire

#289: Way Mo Cruise news and is the Mercedes L2 or L3, w/Philip Koopman?

#288 Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

#287: The Battle of San Francisco

#286: It's Not The Heat, It's The Mobility

#285: Dr Matt Markel of Spartan Radar

#284: A Midsummer News Discussion

#283: Roadtrippin' In An Electric Lightship

#282: Romain Clement of Teleo

#281: NACS To The Future

#280: AV Wars and EV Peace

#279 Ali Javidan of Range Energy

#278: EV Affordability, Sleeping at 60 MPH and Other Modern Mobility Issues

#277: Matt Teske of Chargeway

#276: Sad By Southwest (and Beyond)

#275 The state of AV trucks with Don Burnette of Kodiak Robotics

#274 Up, up and away with Cyrus Sigari of UP Partners

#273 Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua on changing how we talk about automated driving

#272: Kelly Funkhouser on Consumer Reports Active Driving Assistance Ranking

#271: CES Meets Science Fiction

#270: Jan Becker of Apex AI

#269: CES mobility nirvana or bust

#268: Francesca Favarò on Waymo's Human Fatigue Risk Managment Framework

#267: The News From La La Land

#266: It's the end of the self-driving car as we know it, and I feel fine

#265: Lawyers on Demand with Jazz Hampton of TurnSignl

#264: Paris Marx on Silicon Valley's Road To Nowhere

#263: There Are No Accidents with Jessie Singer

#262: Home On The Range

#261: The Ranty (Mostly) Tesla Discussion Episode

#260: The Non-Tesla Discussion Episode

#259: Stefan Seltz-Axmacher of Polymath and Josh Hartung of Sygnal

#258: Nat Beuse of Aurora on "The S Word"

#257: Sam Anthony

#256: Bibhrajit Halder of SafeAI

#255: NHTSA's New Crash Data and the Challenge of Automated Driving Regulation

#254: Gary Marcus