In 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 prepare to launch commercial operations “soon”. Could Zoox’s secretive approach potentially lead to potential consequences because of their lack of transparency with both the market and consumers? 

To accelerate the adoption of autonomous vehicles, Congress needs to pass an Autonomous Vehicle National Framework that incudes trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds to accelerate the autonomous vehicle adoption and investment in the United States. A national autonomous vehicle framework will unlock investment that will lead to economic growth. 

Walt and Grayson also explore the potential catalysts that could drive faster autonomous vehicle adoption, including consumer experiences, economic pressures, and the upcoming U.S. election. Throughout the discussion, they stress the importance of pushing for more aggressive expansion into challenging environments to truly advance the technology and gain public trust.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Waymo in San Francisco

6:44 Zoox

14:37 Waymo / Hyundai 

18:48 Autonomy Economy

25:02 Autonomy and Elections

27:22 Autonomous Vehicle Experiences 

29:19 Investing in Autonomous Vehicles

21:23 Next Week

Recorded on September 19, 2024

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