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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Xiaodi Hou, founder and CEO of Bot Auto, a company making big strides in autonomous trucking. Most recently, they completed their first human-less autonomous truck validation run — a major milestone in the push toward fully driver-out operations.

We talk about Xiaodi’s journey before founding Bot Auto, how the autonomous vehicle landscape has evolved over the years, his perspective on whether autonomous driving has truly been “solved,” and the key milestones Bot Auto has hit on its road to commercialization. Xiaodi also dives into the cost savings from driver-out operations, and the unique economics of running a driverless fleet. We unpack how Bot Auto is able to achieve multiple operational milestones with relatively small capital and what it’ll take to boost revenue beyond their cost per mile.

We also discuss the business side of autonomy — from Bot Auto’s model and approach to optimizing costs, to balancing cutting-edge technology with the realities of operations and customer acquisition. Xiaodi explains why Bot Auto doesn’t see itself as competing against human drivers, but rather solving the industry’s biggest pain points and creating value where it’s needed most.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Dr. Xiaodi Hou

(01:40) Background on Bot Auto

(02:27) Xiaodi’s background and early ventures before Bot Auto

(04:03) The early days of AV development vs now

(06:15) Has autonomous driving been solved?

(08:05) Key milestones in the commercialization of autonomous driving at Bot Auto

(10:20) Cost savings from driver-out operations in autonomous trucking

(13:50) Broad insights into the trucking industry

(15:25) How autonomous trucks solve human/time factor limitations in trucking

(17:10) Bot Auto’s business model

(19:06) Optimizing the cost of autonomous trucking

(24:40) Bot Auto’s human-less validation run, and its significance

(28:35) How were you able to achieve multiple operational milestones with relatively small capital?

(31:32) What would it take for Bot Auto to make money, and increase revenue over cost-per -mile?

(32:53) How to balance the technology and business operations

(34:33) Customer acquisition in autonomous trucking

(35:55) Why does Bot Auto not compete against Humans? and their value proposition

(37:45) How does highway driving compare to urban driving for autonomous trucks vs robotaxis?

(41:25) Conclusion and final thoughts

Notes/Links:

Bot Auto’s first human-less autonomous truck validation run

* Full timelapse (link).

* Article: Bot Auto Completes Human-Less Hub-To-Hub Validation Run In Texas (link, no paywall).

- Harry

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