About this episode
This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the new expansion announcements from both Waymo and Tesla, framing it as a “heavyweight fight”. Waymo announced plans to expand to Denver and Seattle, with Denver set to become the first city where its fleet will include both Jaguar I-PACEs and Zeekrs. The company also gained regulatory approval to operate at the San Jose (SJC) airport, a move Grayson Brulte predicted five months ago on a previous episode.Meanwhile, Tesla opened the public waitlist for its Robotaxi app, which quickly surged up the Apple App Store charts, reaching #1 in the travel category and #8 overall among free apps.The discussion then broadens beyond the Waymo–Tesla rivalry, touching on the political headwinds Waymo faces in Seattle, NHTSA’s recent regulatory changes designed to accelerate autonomous vehicle commercialization, and Torc’s $660 million annual burn rate as Daimler Truck explores external funding options.Episode Chapters0:00 Waymo-Tesla Competition 5:48 Waymo’s Denver Expansion 8:01 No Uber Partnership for Denver or Seattle?10:36 Waymo’s Affection for Unwelcoming Cities, Including Seattle 15:24 Benefits of Autonomy 16:37 Updated NHTSA Rules19:23 Waymo Expands to San Jose Airport, Is SFO Next?24:22 Tesla Opens Robotaxi Waitlist 27:43 Highway Unlocks30:44 Avride Launching on Uber in Dallas33:16 Tensor Auto35:49 Daimler Truck is Seeking Outside Capital for Torc40:18 Next WeekAutonomy is transforming industries and creating an entirely new economy that we call the autonomy economy™. The Road to Autonomy provides advisory and market intelligence services that helps you better understand the market and stay ahead of what’s coming next. To learn more, say hello (at) roadtoautonomy.com. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/LightShed Partners is a leading independent research firm focused on the convergence of technology, media, and telecommunications. Known for its forward-thinking insights, LightShed Partners provides in-depth analysis on trends, disruptions, and innovations shaping these industries, offering clients data-driven research to inform investment decisions. ????????????????????????????????Sign up for research here.????????????????????????????????The LightShed Podcast, released every Friday, delivers cutting-edge insights into the world of technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT), focusing on key trends and disrupti
