This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk unpack a wave of developments reshaping the autonomous vehicle landscape. Data surfacing from a follow-up to a recent Senate hearing reveals that Waymo currently operates 3,000 autonomous vehicles supported by only 70 remote assistance agents worldwide.

Grayson calls the ratio definitive proof of Waymo's technology lead, while Walt raises a pointed concern that roughly half of those remote roles are outsourced to the Philippines, creating a political vulnerability that could draw scrutiny as the industry scales.

From there, the conversation turns to infrastructure. Uber is reportedly investing $100 million to build autonomous vehicle fast-charging stations across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Dallas. The move sparks a spirited debate about Uber. Is the company that built its brand on being asset-light now quietly pivoting to an asset-heavy model to stay competitive in the autonomy era?

On the regulatory front, Governor Kathy Hochul shelved a proposal that would have permitted robotaxis outside New York City, reportedly bowing to special interest pressure, a setback Grayson and Walt call deeply disappointing.

Meanwhile, Iowa lawmakers are advancing bills requiring a human driver behind the wheel, creating a strange-bedfellows alliance between pro-autonomy hybrid network advocates and traditional opponents of autonomous driving technology.

Shifting to hardware, Tesla's Cybercab secured an FCC order authorizing ultra-wideband radio technology for wireless charging. Grayson cautions, however, that FCC approval is only one piece of the puzzle, as Tesla still needs NHTSA exemptions to operate vehicles without steering wheels or pedals before any real-world scaling can begin.

Closing out the episode, Aurora opened a new autonomous trucking lane stretching over 1,000 miles from Texas to Arizona, pushing the boundaries of long-haul autonomy. And in a notable signal from the OEM side, Paccar highlighted its partnership with Kodiak in its latest earnings release, underscoring how seriously legacy manufacturers are now starting to take the autonomous freight opportunity.

Episode Chapters

00:00 Waymo: 70 Remote Agents for 3,000 Cars

04:00 The "Unforced Error" of Outsourcing Remote Assistance to the Philippines

08:00 SFO Rideshare Volume and Waymo's Impact on Traditional TNCs

15:00 New York Governor Hochul Pulls Robotaxi Proposal

20:00 Iowa Lawmakers Push a Driver-In Bill

23:00 Will the Real Uber Please Stand Up? The $100M Charging Pivot

29:00 "Take or Pay" Contracts: Is Uber Blocking Competitors?

32:00 Tesla Cybercab Gets FCC Wireless Charging Approval

36:00 Tesla NHTSA Exemption

38:00 Aurora Opens 1,000-Mile Autonomous Trucking Lane

Recorded on Thursday, February 19, 2026

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About The Road to Autonomy

The 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/

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Grayson Brulte went on location to Miami to inspect Waymo's infrastructure buildout across the city, uncovering two depots that reveal the company's ambitious plans to scale to thousands of vehicles in South Florida.

The first depot, located adjacent to Miami International Airport, has not yet broken ground but sits on a large parcel with significant room for expansion. A service road connects the site directly to the airport, without the need to use the highway, positioning Waymo for a seamless airport-to-destination corridor that could be operational within 12 to 18 months.

The second depot, already operational in the Wynwood area near the Design District, is running what we estimate to be 20-plus vehicles with roughly 30-plus chargers situated next to a Florida Power & Light substation. The facility currently operates out of PODS with no covered garage, but vacant parcels on both sides and an adjacent warehouse present a clear path to scale. While we were there on the ground, FPL was on-site micro trenching, a potential signal that additional electrical capacity is being routed to the depot.

Looking ahead, Waymo's ability to service a thousand vehicles between these two depots appears well within reach. The next frontier is the beaches, Surfside, North Beach, South Beach, where a third depot will likely be necessary to navigate Miami's notoriously heavy traffic. With Hard Rock Stadium hosting Dolphins games, F1, and the Super Bowl returning to Miami, the demand signal for robotaxis in this market is unmistakable.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Waymo's "Rat Pack" Ambitions in Miami

1:00 The Airport Depot: Bypassing the Highway

2:00 The Wynwood Depot: 35 Chargers & A Substation

3:00 Miami Depots Compared to the Santa Monica Depot

4:00 From PODS to Warehouses: The Expansion Plan

5:00 The FPL Signal: Micro-Trenching

6:00 Expanding Depots to Surfside & South Beach

7:00 The Super Bowl & Hard Rock Stadium Demand

8:00 The Future Is Bright. The Future Is Autonomous.

Watch the video version of this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VB2kFhkSDkE

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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.

Stuart Young, Program Manager, Tactical Technology Office, DARPA joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss DARPA’s RACER (Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency) Program and the development of high-speed autonomous vehicles capable of navigating unstructured off-road terrain without maps or GPS.

The operational backbone of this program is a departure from the breadcrumb approach of the Grand Challenge, challenging robots to navigate complex, unstructured environments at speeds faster than manned formations. By removing the dependency on pre-existing maps and GPS, DARPA is forcing the autonomous systems to generalize across environments.

In the field, RACER has rigorously tested platforms ranging from modified Polaris RZRs to Textron M5 tracked vehicles across diverse landscapes, including the Mojave Desert, Camp Roberts, and Fort Hood. This ecosystem has not only spurred the creation of companies such as Overland AI and Field AI but also demonstrated tactical relevance, as seen when the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment utilized RACER technology as an opposition force at the National Training Center.

Looking ahead, Stuart envisions a future where autonomy shifts from simple movement to strategic maneuver, enabling a single operator to command platoons of vehicles. This evolution aims to fundamentally change the risk calculus for soldiers while opening new opportunities for dual-use applications in mining, agriculture and search and rescue.

Episode Chapters

0:00 The History of Autonomy at DARPA: From the Grand Challenge to Today

6:54 How RACER Differs from The Grand Challenge

11:59 Operating Without Maps or GPS

14:00 Managing Heat, Acoustic, and Visual Signatures in Autonomy

19:43 Testing in the Mojave, Central California, and Texas

25:11 Building the RACER Brain and Spawning New Companies (Overland AI, Field AI)

27:12 The Rules of RACER: Speed Metrics and “No Maps” Constraints

33:36 The Hardware: Modifying Polaris RZRs and Textron M5 Tanks

37:37 Requirements vs. Possibilities

40:01 Field Testing with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at the National Training Center

44:43 Deploying RACER in the Field

46:12 The Legacy of RACER: Dual-Use Applications and Saving Lives

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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.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss whether Waymo has finally solved the supply constraint question following reports of a deal for 50,000 Hyundai vehicles by 2028. They break down the economics, theorizing a $50,000 per-vehicle cost that likely includes line-fit sensors, a price point that Grayson argues destroys the bear case that autonomous vehicles cannot cost-effectively scale.

The conversation then shifts to hardware as Walt puts on his inspector hat, spotting a hidden Class 8 truck graphic in Waymo’s latest blog post. This revelation sparks a debate on if Waymo is planning a return to trucking in 2027 to coincide with the new Daimler Truck’s new Freightliner Cascadia redundant chassis platform. They also analyze Waymo’s 6th Generation Driver, noting the emphasis on custom silicon and aggressive camera cleaning systems seems to mimic Tesla’s approach.

On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, they discuss Lyft’s plan to launch Baidu RT6 robotaxis in London and Uber’s deployment of Chinese robotaxis in Dubai. While Uber touts its partners, Grayson provides ground truth on the Chinese market, arguing that strict geofences and residency restrictions mean the technology is not as far ahead as Western media portrays.

Looking at the broader ecosystem, Grayson and Walt analyze Aurora’s pivot to upfitting International trucks, a strategy shift that mirrors competitor Kodiak, along with Kodiak’s new defense partnership with the United States Marine Corps.

Closing out the show, they discuss the current regulatory environment for autonomous vehicles and NHTSA’s Automated Vehicle Safety Public Meeting upcoming in March and Waymo calling for D.C. residents to advocate for autonomous vehicles.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Waymo’s Reported 50,000 Robotaxi Hyundai Deal

03:26 The $50,000 Robotaxi Economics

06:20 Zeekr & Waymo/Magna Mesa Upfitting Plant

10:11 Scaling to 750,000 Autonomous Vehicles

17:09 Waymo Gen 6: Custom Silicon & Improved Cameras

23:21 Uber’s Narrative vs. Waymo’s Reality

28:09 Lyft’s Flexdrive Advantage

31:52 Inspector Walt: Waymo’s Autonomous Truck Tease

33:41 Aurora’s Pivot & Kodiak’s Marine Corps Deal

41:39 Foreign Autonomy Desk: Lyft in London & Uber in Dubai

45:09 The Regulatory Tide Turns

48:38 Hyundai: The Arms Dealer of Autonomy

Recorded on Friday, February 13, 2026

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About The Road to Autonomy

The 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. 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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.