Autonocast
Autonocast is a weekly podcast hosted by Alex Roy, Kirsten Korosec, and Ed Niedermeyer that covers autonomy, electrification, and the future of transportation. The hosts offer blunt, no-nonsense conversations about self-driving technology, electric vehicles, and the shifting mobility industry. Episodes feature news analysis and interviews with people working in and around the automotive and tech sectors. The show is aimed at listeners who want informed, unfiltered discussion rather than corporate talking points.
Episodes
#374: Robotaxi Backlash: Waymo, Tesla and the Fight Over Who Controls Autonomous Vehicles
Robotaxi backlash is growing just as Waymo, Tesla and other autonomous vehicle companies accelerate expansion. The Autonocast examines failed AV emergency hotlines, local resistance to driverless cars, and the federal push for standardized safety testing. Alex Roy, Ed Niedermeyer and Kirsten Korosec debate camera-only autonomy, accountability, AV regulation and operations before turning to May Mob
#373: Are Robotaxis Anti-Human? Waymo, Tesla Cybercab and the Religious Backlash Against AI
Ed, Kirsten & Alex tackle religious backlash against AI as Baptist pastors challenge driverless cars on theological grounds. Does automation threaten humanity, jobs, and social connection? Also, more on Tesla Cybercab’s controversial controls, FSD safety interventions, driver monitoring, insurance surveillance, and privacy. Finally, did the AV industry lose the cultural argument before robotax
#372: FUKT.Purist Reveal, Dumb Headlines, Flock, and CyberCabs
Ed’s in Venice, so Alex and Kirsten discuss the FUKT.Purist Satirical Hypercar Reveal, fake engine sounds and smells, privacy, surveillance, Angeles Death Highway, Waymo in San Diego, Dumb Headlines, the Rivian R2, CyberCab challenges for 1st Responders, and Alex makes a prediction.EPISODE TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Welcome to The AutonocastAlex and Kirsten open an Ed-free episode and discuss Ed Niedermeye
#371: Will Your Kids Ever Drive? Waymo, Uber and the Robotaxi Endgame
In this episode of The Autonocast, Alex Roy, Ed Niedermeyer, and Kirsten Korosec debate the latest wave of autonomous vehicle optimism, sparked by Uber President and COO Andrew Macdonald’s prediction that his young children may never need driver’s licenses. The crew compares today’s robotaxi boom with the AV hype cycle of 2015–2016—and examines what has genuinely changed now that companies like Wa
#370: Uber’s $10 Billion Robotaxi Bet, Lucid’s Reset, and Will Ford’s $30K EV Kill Slate?
Uber is going all-in on autonomous vehicles, committing roughly $10 billion across more than 30 AV partnerships. But how many of those bets will actually produce commercially viable robotaxis—and does Uber ultimately become the Expedia of autonomous transportation?In this episode of The Autonocast, Alex Roy, Ed Niedermeyer, and Kirsten Korosec break down Uber’s sprawling autonomy strategy and deba
#369: Mobileye CEO Exit, Tesla Robotaxi Controversy & the Battle for Autonomous Vehicle Regulation
Alex Roy, Ed and Kirsten discuss Mobileye founder Amnon Shashua’s transition from CEO, Tesla’s expanding robotaxi ambitions, Waymo’s latest safety research, and the growing regulatory battle shaping autonomous vehicles. Also, Kirsten presses Alex on his uncharacteristic reticence.
#368: How Aseon Labs Is Solving AV Operations, w/Co-Founder George Kalligeros
Alex, Ed, and Kirsten sit down with George Kalligeros, CEO and co-founder of Aseon Labs, to explore the overlooked infrastructure required to scale autonomous vehicles and robotaxis. The discussion covers robotic vehicle servicing, decentralized charging, autonomous fleet maintenance, Waymo and Tesla operations, fleet economics, deadheading, EV charging networks, and the future of robotaxi deploym
#367: SpaceX, Waymo, Lucid, and Alex’s Tesla Solar Obsession
Alex goes long SpaceX, Ed goes on even longer, and Kirsten brings the show down to earth to talk Waymo, Uber, Wayve, and Motional…until the boys drag it back to Tesla Solar, Porsche 928s, and much, much more.
#366: Sex, Family, and the Ferrari Luce EV
Alex offends everyone with his POV on automotive design, Ed wants to talk Tesla, and Kirsten brings it back around to Waymo, Zoox, and actual analysis of the AV/EV business.
#365: How To Insure Autonomous Vehicles w/Steve Miller of Hub International
Steve Miller, SVP Innovation @ Hub International, explains one of the least understood but most critical aspects of autonomous vehicles: insurance. From the earliest days of self-driving startups like Drive.ai to today’s robotaxi deployments, Steve explains how insurers evaluate risk, liability, safety cases, software updates, and autonomous driving systems. Also: Tesla, Waymo, ADAS, AV legislatio
#364: Alex Got Solar, Uber’s AV Future, Waymo Ops, Gossip, Ed’s Fave Robotaxis
The gang discuss Alex’s new Tesla solar install, Waymo ops challenges, and Uber’s evolving self-driving strategy. Also, Ed has issues with you-know-whose robotaxi rollout in Austin. Kirsten and Alex then bring it back to an odd Waymo/Uber flareup, whilst Ed pouts.
#363: Lucid Gravity Review, Nuro, Waymo, Tesla FSD, AV Policy Roundup
Did Kirsten enjoy her Lucid Gravity? What’s the Citroen CX of EVs? How’s Waymo Ops doing? Do the CA AV reporting rules make sense? Did Alex enjoy his friend’s use of FSD on a HW 2.5 Model S? Ed & Alex keep it feisty, and Kirsten tries to keep them under control.
#362: It’s Electric w/Founder Tiya Gordon
Kirsten, Ed & Alex sit down with Tiya Gordon, co-founder and COO of It’s Electric, to explore how curbside EV charging can unlock electric vehicle adoption in dense cities like New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. We discuss why most public EV chargers fail, how It’s Electric uses spare building power to create neighborhood charging without expensive utility trenching, and why bet
#361: Foxglove w/Founder + CEO Adrian Macneil
In this episode of Autonocast, Alex Roy, Kirsten Korosec, and Ed Niedermeyer talk with Foxglove founder Adrian Macneil about how lessons from Cruise and the autonomous vehicle boom are now fueling a broader robotics revolution. Macneil explains why Foxglove is building the infrastructure layer for “physical AI,” helping robotics companies capture and learn from real-world machine data, and why tod
#360: Doordash w/VP of Autonomy Ashu Rege
What’s the optimal form factor for a delivery bot, and why? Doordash VP of Autonomy Ashu Rege joins us to talk BTS @ DoorDash labs, why build rather than buy, why he left robotaxis to work on delivery, and why he drives an old Tesla. Also, Alex admires Ashu’s taste in interior design.
#359: Waabi w/Founder + CEO Raquel Urtasun
Fresh off a $1B Series C, Waabi Founder/CEO Raquel Urtasun joins us to answer key questions: Is $1B enough to develop both robotaxis and autonomous trucks? Who is building Waabi's robotaxi vehicle? What's behind Waabi's claim of extraordinary capital efficiency? And what can Waabi do that others can't?
#358: The Remote Ops Debate, Wayve’s $1.2B Bet, Uber’s Robotaxi Strategy
This week we break down Wayve’s massive $1.2 billion round, Uber’s plan to become the global operations layer for autonomy, followed by a punchy debate over remote ops, including congressional scrutiny of Waymo’s overseas remote assistants, and what actually counts as “driving” in an autonomous system. Also, Ed has lots to say about NVIDIA investments.
#357: Why AV's Need Real World Data w/Nexar's Zach Greenberger
Nexar CEO Zach Greenberger joins Alex, Kirsten and Ed to explain why Autonomous Vehicles need real world data, how Nexar built one of the world’s largest driving datasets, the Uber Labs announcement, and much, much more. Also, the hosts critique each other’s fashion choices.
#356: Abandoned by FSD: Tesla’s Pivot, Waymo’s Crash, and the New Autonomy Narrative War
Alex recounts his latest cross-country Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) attempt and explains why “zero-disengagement” claims often hide major differences in what counts as an intervention—plus an unforgettable moment where the car nearly strands a co-driver at a sub-zero truck stop. Kirsten, Ed & Alex then dig into Tesla’s decision to end Model S and Model X production, the company’s escalating bet o
#355: CES Recap, Best Party Stories, and Alex Shares a Shocker
Alex has a shocker for Ed, and the gang debriefs on CES and the mobility party of the year. Plus, a riff on auto shows and our experience in the Motional robotaxi in Vegas.
#354: 1st Coast-to-Coast Zero Intervention Tesla FSD Drive w/David Moss
David Moss joins Alex Roy and Ed Niedermeyer to discuss his zero intervention coast-to-coast Tesla FSD drive. Alex is excited. Ed less so, until the end.
#353: Annual Prediction Episode, w/SAFE CEO Avery Ash
Avery Ash, CEO of Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) joins to discuss what we got right & wrong 12 months ago, and weighs in with predictions for 2026. Also, CES party updates, and a special shout-out to an old friend.
#352: Waymo...With Great Scale Comes Great Responsibility.
As Waymo scales, so do the edge cases the world's biggest robotaxi fleet will encounter. Also, Ed wants to talk about Tesla, Alex doesn't, and Kirsten keeps it cool.
#351: Feisty Thanksgiving Discussion
Sleepy safety drivers, scaling robotaxis, Alex thanks the Autonocast party sponsors, Ed thanks Elon for giving him something to complain about, and Kirsten thanks us for letting her be the adult in the room.
#350: How To Fix The SAE Levels w/Bryant Walker Smith
When is self-driving not self-driving? How do the words we use for autonomous vehicles affect safety? Professor Bryant Walker Smith talks about how the SAE levels came to be, how he hopes to improve them, and his latest paper "Self-Driving Means Self-Driving."
#349: How To Make AI Useful w/MIT's Bryan Reimer
How to cut through the BS of AI hype? What is the optimal integration of AI into work? What is the best application of AI in human driven vehicles? MIT Research Scientist Bryan Reimer is one of the Top 3 AI BS sniffers on earth, and alone in having a realistic vision of what AI can actually do for us. On this episode, Reimer discusses his new book: How To Make AI Useful.
#348: Also Bikes, Tesla HW3, Ghosts
Will Rivian bicycle spinoff Also become the iPhone/Tesla Model S of bikes? Why is it called Also? How much was the branding agency paid? Why did a Tesla see ghosts in a cemetery? How will Tesla handle all the HW3 owners whose cars may never be driverless? Does Ed's BMW "Clownshoe" ZM3 redeem him?
#347: Waymo DDOS Attack, Tesla Door Handles, Wayve, 2026 CES Party Info
Should Waymo pranksters be permabanned from the service? Will Tesla survive Ed's door handle obsession? What makes Kirsten a real journalist? Will Alex explain how to get into our 2026 CES party? Also, why AV operations will be more important than the tech itself...
#346: Alex Pulled Over, Sperm Racing, Waymo Rain
Alex gets pulled over for the first time in 15 years, Ed is more interested in the wild Silicon Valley Sperm Racing story, and Kirsten brings it back around to Waymo's rainy adventures in Arizona. Will innovation win? Or will Ed drag the show down again?
#345: Alex Haag of Futurail
What does an ex-Tesla, VW, and Argo AI executive do next? Take the lessons of autonomy to railroads. Futurail CEO/co-founder Alex Haag explains why rail has not yet been fully automated, how AV technology can mitigate climate change, and how Futurail's hardware/software stack unlocks value and efficiency in the world's oldest modern transportation vertical. Also, Alex has some words about his Tesl
#344: Billy Thalheimer of Regent
Regent CEO Billy Thalheimer explains why the only thing more awesome than a Lun-Class Ekranoplan is a wing-in-ground-effect vehicle that actually WORKS, with a business model to match. The cold war's coolest "plane" is back, this time with electric propulsion, flight envelope protections, airfoils, and both civilian and military applications. Can Kirsten keep Alex calm as he geeks out on his Cold
#343: Tesla's Autopilot Court Loss, AVs in The Naked Gun, A Little Zoox
Alex reviews The Naked Gun's depiction of self-driving cars, Ed puts on his big boy shoes to explain Tesla's big loss in court, and Kirsten rolls her eyes (again) as she brings the show back to Earth. Also, a little Zoox.
#342: Dave Ferguson of Nuro
How does a multi-billion dollar self-driving startup pivot from custom autonomous delivery vehicles to L4 software licensing? Nuro co-founder/President Dave Ferguson explains their new plan, the partnership with Lucid and Uber, and why deploying the first-ever luxury robotaxi makes sense. Also, Alex Roy asks an insane question.
#341: Boris Sofman of Bedrock Robotics
Former Waymo self-driving truck lead and Anki co-founder Boris Sofman joins The Autonocast to talk about his new company, Bedrock Robotics, and why autonomous construction equipment might be the most important, least-hyped application of AV tech yet. Kirsten and Alex dig into why he left the public-road race, what makes construction sites a uniquely promising environment for autonomy, and how less
#340: On The Ground In Austin
Austin Texas was already one of the hot spots of AV activity, even before Tesla's robotaxi deployment ratched up the hype. With Ed back from a week on the ground, and Alex and Kirsten watching events there closely, the gang has a lot to discuss this week.
#339: Flamin' Hot Waymos and other Hot Summer Takes
The summer heat is getting to the gang, as they discuss Tesla's attempt to go driverless in Austin and engage in the burning Waymo discourse that has been roiling the internet.
#338: The Big, Beautiful Regulatory Hack
After a brief update about their old, unreliable cars, the gang dives into the latest effort to pre-empt local regulation of AVs, and its many implications.
#337: Spring Cleaning
Spring has sprung, and the AV sector is full of happenings. From Sterling Anderson's surprise move from Aurora to GM, to a series of recalls at Waymo and Zoox, the gang discusses the AV sector's busy spring.
#336: AVs Are So Back
This week: Aurora goes driverless, Waymo hooks up with Toyota, Uber hooks up with everyone, and the gang gathers to piece together what it all means.
#335: John Harris of Harbinger
Before co-founding the medium duty electric truck startup Harbinger, John Harris lived through some of the wildest highs and lows of the post-Tesla EV startup bubble. On this week's episode, he explains how lessons learned from those experiences shaped Harbinger, why medium-duty trucks are so ripe for electrification, how tariffs are creating new challenges, and much more.
#334: Normal Talk For Normal Times
The gang comes together to chat about Wayve's deal with Nissan, Kodiak's decision to SPAC, China's ban on "self-driving" terminology — and of course Tesla. Plus, Alex and Kirsten commiserate on their increasingly expensive classic cars.
#333 Reilly Brennan Returns
Reilly Brennan, the godfather of the Autonocast and Trucks VC general partner, returns to the pod for a wide-ranging discussion on the business of robotaxis, how AVs have evolved in the past decade, his latest fund, and some surprising insights into Tesla.
#332: Gabe Sganga of Forterra
Forterra has been around the defense and driving automation sectors for years, under names like Robotic Research. Now the firm's VP of Commercial Growth Gabe Sganga joins the show to explain Forterra's new name, new ambitions, and work bringing together new opportunities in defense and logistics.
#331: We Are So Back
Kirsten rides Waymos in Austin, Alex valet parks a Citroen, and Ed stops protesting Tesla for long enough to find Alex's newest eBike.
#330: Raquel Urtasun of Waabi
Raquel Urtasun came to the AV sector from academia, first leading research for Uber's Advanced Technology Group, and for the last four years with her own startup Waabi. She joins the show to cast light on Waabi's unique approach to Level 4 trucking, some of the differences between so-called "AV 2.0" approaches, and where AI breakthroughs are poised to change AV development.
#329: Ed and Alex Touch The Third Rail
With Kirsten traveling for work, Ed and Alex get back to the topic that they've been tussling over since this podcast began: Tesla and Elon Musk. Of course, that topic has evolved considerably lately, so buckle up.
#328: Citroen S&M, Garage Check, God's Eye and more
Alex shares the struggle of fixing a vintage Citroen SM and what it means for software defined vehicles, the whole gang discusses the unique vehicles in their garages, and sneak in a little discussion of BYD's God's Eye news, just so the whole episode isn't one big digression.
#327: Mark Groden of Skyryse
Aircraft design may be a mature space, but Mark Groden sees the entire control scheme for aircraft as an opportunity for transformative change, from the cockpit to the electronic architecture to actuators. He joins the gang to explain Skyryse's work on this opportunity, and where it's taking aviation.
#326: Tesla Earnings, Yellow AV Journalism, and The Social Contract
Ed and Kirsten kick off the latest episode with a discussion of Tesla's latest earnings report, and are joined by Alex as the conversation turns to a pair of stories out of San Francisco, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi's recent comments about AV safety in Davos.
#325: CES 2025 Roundup
With another CES in the books, the gang gathers to discuss the highs and lows of the show, the annual Autonocast CES party, and the long-overdue debut of the Autonocast merch shop. Surf over to autonocast dot com and click on the store link to buy shirts, mugs, stickers and support the show.
#324: Riding with Zoox on the Vegas Strip, featuring Jesse Levinson
After years of intense effort and turmoil, Zoox is nearing the finish line in its pioneering ground-up robotaxi, possibly the most ambitiously novel vehicle of our time. Ed and Kirsten join Zoox CTO Jesse Levinson for a ride along the famous Las Vegas strip, taking in and discussing this unique new autonomous experience.
#323: The Annual Prediction Episode 2024
With the annual CES party looming, it's time once again for the gang to review last year's predictions and try to make a few about 2025. But first, the gang discusses Alex's latest cross-country exploits.
#322: Fall Of The House of Cruise
General Motors has pulled the plug on Cruise, one of the Level 4 AV developers who defined the space... for better and worse. The gang gathers to discuss GM's decision, Cruise's history, and broader lessons about the last decade of driving automation development.
#321: Thanksgiving Discussion
The gang gathers around the metaphorical festive table to discuss such hot-button issues as the complicated future of EVs and AVs under a new Trump administration and the Jaguar rebrand.
#320: Pushing Buttons with Dr Rachel Plotnick
With some automakers moving away from touchscreens and back toward physical controls, and others pushing forward toward ever more minimalist user interfaces, the debate around controls in cars has never been more interesting. To help provide some historical context for this fascinating issue, Alex and Ed are joined by Dr Rachel Plotnick, the author of "Power Button: A History of Pleasure, Panic, a
#319: Xiaodi Hou is getting scrappy
Xiaodi Hou was one of the earlier guests on the Autonocast, when he joined to discuss the autonomous trucking company TuSimple that he founded and helped run. He returns to the show to reflect on the tumultuous journey that saw him ousted from TuSimple and then starting a new, leaner autonomous truck company called Bot Auto. His lessons learned provide a unique glimpse of the evolving driving auto
#318: Spooky Seasonal Discussion
With Kirsten wrapped up in the Disrupt event, Alex and Ed get together to discuss the thrills and chills of this fall's mobility tech news. From eBikes to the first driverless cannonball race, from Waymo and Wayve to Tesla's narrative command, this spooky discussion is sure to provoke and inspire.
#317: How The Tesla Autopilot Cannonball Run Record Was Broken
George Hotz hasn't won self-driving yet, but Cannonballer Jay Roberts just used a Comma Three and a Toyota Pruis to shatter Alex Roy's 55 hour Autopilot record in 43 hours, 18 minutes. What's the difference between a semi-automated and driverless Cannonball record? Is the future of the Cannonball Run human-driven or autonomous? Is Comma AI's technology better than Tesla's Full Self-Driving? What d
#316: That Insane Tesla Cybercab Event
Alex and Ed go to war over the Tesla Cybercab reveal, the CyberBus, and Elon Musk's concept of a plan. Can Joel Johnson, polymath and automotive CEO whisperer, bring sanity back to the show in Kirsten's absence?
#315: Chris Nolte of Bloom
The immense potential of micromobility is matched only by the challenges of building profitable brands, and Chris Nolte has experienced them firsthand. Along with cofounder Justin Kosmides, Nolte is now building Bloom into a platform that leverages their collective experience into efficiencies to give micromobility startups a fighting edge, and he joins this week's episode to explain how.
#314: Will Jones of The Cannonball Sun
The Cannonball Run goes solar as Will Jones explains how he, Kyle Samluk and Danny Ezzo built a race car from scratch to make science fiction racing fact. Was it safe? Was it legal? Did they get pulled over? Was it air conditioned? What about bathroom stops? Will Alex Roy try to break their record?
#313: Alex Roy Gets A New Tesla, Ed is Upset, Kirsten Discusses The News
What could go wrong when Alex gets a new Tesla? Did Elon intervene to help him? Why didn't Alex choose something else? What will Ed say? Can Kirsten keep the peace? How long before the gang settles down to get to the news? All this and much, much more on one of the feistiest Autonocast episodes in a long time.
#312: Noah Goodall on Measuring ADAS Safety
Ever since 2016, when the first Autopilot crashes were reported, Tesla has been claiming that its Level 2 ADAS is safer than a human driver. Noah Goodall is a traffic safety researcher who has published some of the only peer-reviewed work on Tesla's safety claims, and he joins the show to discuss his work on this and other important road safety topics.
#311: Don Burnette of Kodiak
It's been more than a year since we spoke with Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics and Google Self-Driving Car program veteran, and a lot has changed in the world of autonomous trucking since then. Don joins the show for a wide-ranging discussion of the state of play in self-driving trucks, and how Kodiak has thrived through sectorwide challenges.
#310: The Summer Of The Robotaxi
It's a make or break summer for robotaxis, as GM cancels Cruise's Origin, Waymo's new Zeekr-supplied model hits the streets, and Tesla delays the reveal of its alleged robotaxi. Alex, Kirsten and Ed gather to digest all the latest news in the latest discussion episode, joined discreetly at times by friend of the show former Rivian strategy boss Patrick Hunt.
#309: Alex Kendall of Wayve
After many discussions about the divide between Level 4 robotaxis/trucks and "AI first" general solutions for automotive use cases, The Autonocast finally welcomes one of the leaders in the latter approach to the show. Alex Kendall is the founder and CEO of the UK-based startup Wayve, which just raised a billion dollars to continue developing its unique approach to driving automation. He joins the
#308: The History of Fueling, With Ted Ryan
Ted Ryan spent more than 20 years as an archivist for Coca-Cola, and is currently the brand manager for archives and heritage at Ford, giving him unique insights into the history of fueling in the US. With EV charging emerging as one of the major challenges to adoption, the gang sat down with Ted to find out what lessons we might learn from history. Turns out there are a lot, you don't want to mis
#307: Ed and Alex's News Digest
With Kirsten taking a well-deserved vacation, Alex and Ed run wild, discussing a wide variety of recent news. From Ed's recent OpEd on Tesla in the Washington Post to GM's new cash injection into Cruise, and from "AI first" automated trucking company Waabi's new funding round to questions around transparency in China's AV development, and much more, the lads have their hands full this week.
#306: Missy Cummings Returns
Former fighter pilot and NHTSA consultant, now professor at George Mason University, the one and only Missy Cummings returns to The Autonocast to discuss the latest issues in driver assistance and autonomous driving safety, including her work at the auto safety regulator.
#305: AI Hype vs Hard Reality
From Elon Musk's decision to fire the entire Supercharging team as part of Tesla's "pivot to self-driving," to recent fundraising rounds by Motional and Wayve, the entire mobility tech space is caught between the hard work of growing up and doubling down on the AI hype fundraising game. Not everyone can be choosing wisely.
#304: Crijn Bouman of ROCSYS
Electrification and automation collide in this week's episode, as the gang sits down with Crijn Bouman, EV charging veteran and founder of the automated charger company ROCSYS. From the early days of EV charging, to robotaxi service strategies, to the rise of the North American Charging Standard, this conversation spans a wide variety of fascinating topics.
#303: The Robotaxi Gambit
With Tesla's core EV business losing all growth momentum, Elon Musk once again appears to be gambling the most valuable automaker in the world on a driving automation tech play that is clearly not viable. The gang chews on this meaty topic, after a round of AV appetizers featuring the return of Cruise and the death of Ghost.
#302: Picking Through The EV Startup Dumpster Fire
These are rough times for the once-hot world of EV startups, as the hype fades and reality sets in. On this week's episode the gang sifts through the rubble, finding a little good news (Lucid raised cash!) but a lot of challenges for everyone from Fisker to Tesla.
#301: Adam Woodworth of Wing
Incubated inside Google's X project and now deploying in the real world, Wing is an aerial drone delivery company with some interesting parallels to another of Alphabet's "other bets" the gang regularly discuses: Waymo. But, as CEO Adam Woodworth explains, Wing also provides a very different look at how one engineers automated mobility services at a system level, focused more on creating "lego pie
#300: The Best of Times, and The Worst of Times
For our 300th episode, the gang sorts through the highs and lows of some of the recent mobility tech news. Rivian's reveal of two new forthcoming models shows that there's still a lot of excitement in EVs, even as tough challenges remain on the path to financial viability. Meanwhile, the decade-long $10 billion Apple Car saga is officially over, taking the dream of a self-driving car with it, but
#299: Scott Keogh of Scout
Though the flood of EV startups may have receded, the Volkswagen-backed Scout electric truck and SUV startup is as bullish about the opportunity to start a new automaker as ever. Scout CEO Scott Keogh joins the show to explain the opportunity Scout is pursuing, and how the firm plans to stand out in a competitive EV market and rebuild an iconic American brand.
#298: Talkin' EV Rental Blues
Ed's recent misadventure renting an electric car prompts the gang to share similar experiences, and consider what they might mean for EV adoption. Plus: discussion of Ford's new affordable EV skunkworks, Cruise's CPUC penalty hearing and Waymo's cyclist collision in San Francisco.
#297: Post-CES Recovery
After another epic CES party, The Autonocats nurse their hangovers and discuss the show's big trends and buzzwords. Join the first discussion episode of 2024, as the gang puzzles through mysteries like why CES is less consumer-facing than ever, what a "software defined vehicle" is, and why Large Language Models are so promising and yet so disappointing in the automotive space.
#296: Year End Predictions
With another year coming to a close and another world famous Autonocast CES Party looming, the gang gathers for the annual tradition of exchanging predictions about mobility tech in the new year. Grab a holiday beverage, pull out your crystal ball and enjoy an Autonocast tradition like no other.
#295: Confessions of a Car Market Data Nerd with Tyson Jominy
With all the furor over the state of electric vehicle sales in the US, Ed and Kirsten called on Tyson Jominy, VP of data and analytics for JD Power, to find out what exactly is happening with the US auto market. The resulting conversation covers the state of EV sales, the role of charging, the profits that are paying for it all, the not-unrelated disappearance of affordable cars, and more.
