The Driverless Digest Podcast

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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Jeffrey Tumlin, a 30-year transportation leader and former executive director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Jeffrey shares how robotaxis first came onto his radar, what the SFMTA is responsible for, and why San Francisco has long been a proving ground for new transportation technologies.

The conversation centers on autonomous vehicles in San Fran...

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Farzad Mesbahi, a former Tesla employee, a longtime Tesla investor and popular Tesla YouTuber. We get into why Farzad has become such a well-regarded voice in the Tesla community, how he thinks about the broader Tesla ecosystem, and how public perception has shifted over time. He also walks through a few interesting Tesla stats and facts, along wi...

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Hansu Kim, longtime San Francisco political consultant with 20+ years of experience in transportation policy and legislation, and Chairman of Flywheel Technologies, one of Uber’s taxi fleet partners, and taxi booking platform. We get into how the Flywheel–Uber partnership actually works, what the customer experience looks like, and how the taxi industry is responding to this model.<...

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dawood Mian, a long time NYC fleet owner, and founder of AutoMarketplace, the largest content platform focused exclusively on New York city’s TLC market. We get into what makes the NYC TLC ecosystem unlike any other market in the country — from the regulatory framework and driver pay rules to the insurance realities. And why it’s such an impo...

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

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...

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

Join panelists at the just concluded Urban Autonomy Summit at Newlab in Brooklyn as they discuss how cities, fleets, and regulators can work together to ensure AVs are deployed safely and responsibly. The panel featured Zach Greenberger (CEO, Nexar), Sarah Kaufman (Commissioner, NYC TLC), Jeremy Moskowitz (EVP Rideshare, VGM), and Aparna Paladugu (VP Policy & Government Affairs, Via), moderated by Andrew Hawkins, Transportation Editor at The...

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

Join panelists, at the just concluded Urban Autonomy Summit at Newlab in Brooklyn as they dissect the impact the impact of AVs to existing fleets and driver earnings. The panel featured Ashwini Anburajan (CEO, Obi), Ryan Green (CEO, Gridwise), Daniel Muñoz (Co-Founder & COO, Tower Mobility), and Yariel Diaz (Director of Government Affairs, Serve Robotics), moderated by Natalie Lung, Tech Reporter at Bloomberg.

The...

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Terawatt – purpose-built charging for autonomous vehicle fleets.

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with David Zipper, a Senior Fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative known for his writing on transportation policy, technology, and urban planning. He often writes about the impacts of autonomous vehicles (AVs) on cities, emphasizing concerns about increased congestion, safety risks...

It’s less than two days until our first annual Urban Autonomy Summit, presented by Nexar, on October 8th, at Newlab in Brooklyn. We’re down to just a few spots, so this is your last chance to apply and make sure you don’t miss out on the action. Register here to secure your spot!

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with...

It’s less than a month until our first annual Urban Autonomy Summit, presented by Nexar, on October 8th, at Newlab in Brooklyn. Space is limited, but you can apply to attend here if you’re interested in joining the festivities!

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Ashwini Anburajan, CEO of Obi, an app that compares real-time prices and pickup times across...

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Terawatt – purpose-built charging for autonomous vehicle fleets.

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the "transcripts" button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Daniel and Andres Munoz, co-founders of Tower Mobility. They are one of Uber’s largest fleet partners and operate with a unique W2 driver model, where all of their drivers are employees and they own every vehicle in the fleet...

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Terawatt – purpose-built charging for autonomous vehicle fleets.

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the "transcripts" button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with James Cox, Ex Uber Pool Exec, and CEO at The Routing Company, a startup that’s transforming transit with routing and optimization software. James talks about his time at Uber Pool and how ridepooling worked, and the lessons learned th...

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Terawatt – purpose-built charging for autonomous vehicle fleets.

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. We now have transcripts available too (Click on the "transcripts" button in the top right corner of this post to access them).

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Edwin Olson, founder and CEO of May Mobility, an autonomous vehicle company that just launched their AV pilot program in Atlanta, in collaboration with Lyft. Ed talks about May Mobility’s business strategy, their vehicle specs and what makes them...

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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Neha Palmer, CEO and Co-founder of Terawatt, one of the leading providers of charging infrastructure for AV/EV fleets. Neha talks about her journey in the energy industry, highlighting her background leading global energy strategy at Google. She explains Terawatt’s focus on providing AV/EV charging solutions and the motivation behind her founding the company.

We discuss the unique process and intricacies of building and launching charging sites suitable for AV/EV fleets of varying sizes...

This week’s podcast is brought to you by Terawatt – purpose-built charging for autonomous vehicle fleets.

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack.

In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Chris Paxton, author of It Can Think!, and a roboticist who's worked all across the industry (Zoox, Nvidia, Meta etc). He’s currently leading AI innovation at Agility Robotics, developing intelligent and useful humanoid robots.

Chris talks about his career journey, provides an insightful analysis of Waymo's autonomous vehicle advancements, comparing them with Tesla's approach, and gives a full break...

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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Ross Gerber, co-founder and CEO of Gerber Kawasaki, a Los Angeles-based investment firm managing over $1.5 billion in assets. Ross, a longtime Tesla investor and frequent media guest on outlets like CNBC, shares his insights into the future of mobility, focusing on electric vehicles (EVs), ridehailing services, and autonomous vehicles (AVs).

He talks about his investment interests, and some lessons from the early days of ridesharing. Ross also discusses the current ridesharing TAM and the position of auto...

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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Andrew Chapin, Chief Operating Officer at Nuro, a leading self-driving technology company. Andrew was also among the earliest employees at Uber, rising to lead their global vehicle programs and partnerships, so it was cool to hear about this partnership coming full circle for him.

We discuss Nuro’s history and recent pivot from purpose built delivery vehicles into licensing their autonomous technology for robotaxis and personally owned autonomous vehicles. We also spent a lot of time coveri...

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In today's episode, I’m speaking with Brad Hargreaves, editor of Thesis Driven, a top Substack publication covering innovation in the built world. He is also the co-founder of General Assembly and Common, a multifamily operating company focused on innovative housing typologies like co-living.

Brad lays out an eloquent case for the upcoming transformations in real estate driven by autonomous vehicles (AVs). We discuss the anticipated decline of gas stations and urban parking garages, the rise of exurban living as AVs make commutes less pa...

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In today's episode, I’m speaking with Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve, a leading AI company in the autonomous driving space. Founded in 2017, Wayve focuses on creating a general-purpose driving intelligence through an end-to-end AI model that can drive any vehicle anywhere without relying on pre-mapping. Alex talks about his journey from award-winning research at Cambridge to pioneering Wayve’s innovative technology, the global reach of their autonomous fleet over the past three months, and partnerships with major OEMs and Uber.

We also...

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In today’s episode, I am speaking with Helen K. Pan, General Manager of Apollo Autonomous Driving USA, Baidu's Self-Driving Division. We talk about Helen’s journey since joining Baidu's Intelligent Driving Group in 2017, and get an inside look at Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service. She discusses the technology, safety measures, and cost efficiency of Apollo Go's latest generation vehicle, the RT6, which operates in multiple cities globally and costs just $30,000.

We also discuss the dynamics of the Chinese AV market, the compan...

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In this episode, I chat with Jon McNeill, a veteran entrepreneur, investor, and industry executive. Prior to his current CEO and co-founder role at DVx Ventures, Jon was President at Tesla and COO at Lyft. We talk about Jon's background, the recent Tesla robotaxi launch, and Tesla’s approach to autonomy, especially compared to other top players like Waymo.

We also discuss the potential market shifts due to autonomous vehicles (AVs) and the impacts on Uber and Lyft. Jon shares insights on hardware and so...

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In this episode, I chat with Professor Philip Koopman, a top voice in Autonomous Vehicle safety with nearly 30 years of experience in the field, and a longtime professor and researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. We talk about his transition out of academia, what originally motivated his writing on AV safety, and how the industry’s been responding (or not responding) to the standards he’s been advocating for.

Phil shares his take on Waymo’s safety record, Tesla’s robotaxi launch, and why measuring AV safet...

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In today’s episode, I speak with Thomas von der Ohe, co-founder and CEO of Vay, a company transforming mobility with its automotive-grade Remote Driving technology. Vay’s door-to-door service provides a convenient alternative to both autonomous driving and private car ownership.

Thomas shares how Vay’s unique approach to remote driving differs from full autonomy, and discusses the company’s B2C driverless rental car service now available in Las Vegas. We also dive into their growing B2B strategy, and a newly announce...

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In this episode, I interview Will Coleman, co-founder and CEO of Alto, an innovative rideshare and delivery service emphasizing safety, hospitality, and consistency. Will discusses Alto's operations in multiple U.S. cities, their unique business model involving employed drivers and owned vehicles, and their strategic focus on fleet management as a foundation for electric and autonomous mobility.

Most importantly, the conversation delves into Alto's newest partnership with Uber, the complexities of fleet management, and the differentiation factors contributing to their success, such as lower...

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Join Harry, Richard Willder, Global Head of Autonomous Policy at Uber, and Sergei Kirillov, Chief Commercial Officer at Avride, as they discuss Uber’s vision for the future of autonomous mobility and delivery. As the AV industry scales up, companies are taking different paths—some going all-in on full autonomy, while others, like Uber, are building hybrid networks that combine self-driving and human-driven vehicles. So why is Uber betting on this approach? How are they working with over 14 AV partners? What does this mean for workers, city infr...

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In this pilot episode of the TDD podcast, I sat down with Jeremy Bird, EVP of Driver Experience at Lyft. We chatted about his role and responsibilities, including his focus on autonomous vehicles (AV) and their integration into Lyft’s services.

Jeremy talked about the importance of being real with drivers about what AVs mean for them, highlighting the potential for a hybrid future where both AVs and human-driven cars coexist. He also shared some news about Lyft’s upcoming partnership with May Mobility to r...