This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s expansion to Dallas without Uber, instead partnering with Avis and renewing a relationship that dates back to 2017 and the emerging Tesla double standard. 

Waymo’s multi-year partnership with Avis signals the company’s desire to maintain flexibility, rather than locking into exclusive partnerships. With Avis once again joining the autonomous vehicle industry as a service provider, could Hertz and Enterprise be next to jump back in to the industry? 

As Waymo continues to expand to new markets, Tesla ha recently launched a ride-hailing service in the San Francisco Bay Area, covering a vast service area from San Jose to Berkeley, albeit with safety drivers due to California’s regulatory constraints.

Staying in the policy theme, Waymo is facing fierce resistance in Boston, where several City Council members are attempting to ban autonomous vehicles unless a safety driver is present. The opposition underscores the uphill battle autonomous vehicles companies still face in when expanding to new markets. 

Then there is the Tesla double standard. No matter what the company does, someone seemingly will find something wrong, something to nitpick and something to complain about. From social media to regulatory hearings, the double standard is real, and unfortunately it is shaping some aspect of the public autonomous vehicle narrative.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Waymo Expands to Dallas

2:07 Waymo Partners with Avis Once Again

6:19 Dallas Robotaxi Market

8:24 Rental Car Companies

11:31 Waymo Highway Testing

13:30 Waymo’s Unfriendly Boston Welcome 

19:28 Tesla’s Bay Area Ride-Hail Expansion 

22:04 Tesla and Waymo’s Rabid Fans 

25:39 Tesla Robotaxi

27:48 Tesla & Waymo’s Impact on Uber

29:03 Autonomous Trucking

31:45 Aurora 

34:52 Investor Interest in Autonomous Trucking

36:04 Next Week

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