This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk explored the potential impacts of President Trump's administration on the autonomous vehicle and truck industries. With tensions brewing between labor interests and technology companies, the hosts analyzed who might ultimately gain ground from a policy perspective. At Davos, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said autonomous vehicle technology will be ready for primetime within two years, but not commercially viable for a decade—potentially a strategic move to control the autonomy narrative ahead of their February 5th earnings report. Is this a hedge or a genuine assessment of the autonomous vehicle landscape? Only time will tell.

Episode Chapters 0:00 Trump's Back 2:38 Autonomous Vehicle Policy and Who Matters 8:17 Elon vs O'Brien and The Teamsters 12:38 U.S. vs China 17:57 Inceptio Technology IPO 22:55 Dara Khosrowshahi AV Comments at Davos 28:25 Tesla FSD Two Lane Highway Exit 31:21 Rising Insurance Costs for Uber in LA 33:44 Waymo Growth Projections 37:21 Next Week

The Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.

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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 disruptions shaping the future of these industries. Each episode explores topics like streaming services, social media, digital transformation, and the future of entertainment technology. Closely followed by key decision-makers in the TMT industries, this podcast provides actionable analysis for investors, industry professionals, and tech enthusiasts. Subscribe to the LightShed Podcast for expert commentary on market trends, investment opportunities, and insights driving the TMT sector forward. For access to this paywalled podcast email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠team@lightshedtmt.com⁠

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk headed to Washington, D.C. where they attended an event held by The Council for Economic Resilience that focused on the future of autonomous vehicle and truck policy. With President Trump being sworn into office next week, there is an opportunity to usher in the golden age of autonomy.

To usher in the golden age of autonomy, there has to be a national autonomous vehicle framework that includes trucks weighing over 10,001 pounds. Grayson and Walt discuss what it might take for that to become a reality and the role that China could potentially play in accelerating that effort.

Episode Chapters 0:00 The Council for Economic Resilience DC Event 2:05 Congressman Duffy's Transportation Secretary Confirmation Hearing 4:04 Optimism in DC 9:09 Rising Insurance Costs 11:01 The NYC Unlock for Autonomous Vehicles 14:27 Autonomy Politics 22:10 TikTok / Trump Inauguration 25:16 Chinese Autonomous Vehicles in the U.S. 30:03 Zeekr: Waymo's Unforced Error 33:41 Does Waymo Need more OEM partners? 35:49 Pony AI 39:01 Next Week

The Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.

Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 disruptions shaping the future of these industries. Each episode explores topics like streaming services, social media, digital transformation, and the future of entertainment technology. Closely followed by key decision-makers in the TMT industries, this podcast provides actionable analysis for investors, industry professionals, and tech enthusiasts. Subscribe to the LightShed Podcast for expert commentary on market trends, investment opportunities, and insights driving the TMT sector forward. For access to this paywalled podcast email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠team@lightshedtmt.com⁠

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss how the momentum has shifted in the autonomous vehicle and truck industries after NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang declared it will become the first multi-trillion dollar robotics industry at CES 2025.

While the momentum shift has been significant, legacy OEMs are facing headwinds and long-term challenges as Ford shutdown Argo AI, GM shutdown Cruise and VW continues to struggle with software. Then there is Uber and their robotaxi headwinds. Does Uber have to become the “everything app” to survive?

There are a lot of questions to be answered as the autonomy markets enter 2025 including business models, regulation, and public acceptance.

Episode Chapters 0:00 CES 2025 4:39 Autonomous Trucking Policy 7:21 Waymo Zeekr Robotaxi 11:50 What is the Meaning of Launching in a Market? 13:28 Autonomous Vehicle Components 18:12 Legacy OEMs and Ubers Role in Autonomy 26:32 Aurora’s Warning Triangle Petition 29:02 Viewer Question: Who Buys Uber and Lyft? 33:04 Uber, the Everything App? 34:49 CES 2025 Key Takeaways 37:50 CES 2026 40:07 Waymo as a Getaway Car 42:03 Next Week

The Road to Autonomy® is a leading source of data, insight and commentary on autonomous vehicles/trucks and the emerging autonomy economy™.

Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/autonomy-economy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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 disruptions shaping the future of these industries. Each episode explores topics like streaming services, social media, digital transformation, and the future of entertainment technology. Closely followed by key decision-makers in the TMT industries, this podcast provides actionable analysis for investors, industry professionals, and tech enthusiasts. Subscribe to the LightShed Podcast for expert commentary on market trends, investment opportunities, and insights driving the TMT sector forward. For access to this paywalled podcast email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠team@lightshedtmt.com⁠