On this week's episode The Autonocats dig into topics so meaty that even a dog shows up! From Cruise opening driverless operations in San Francisco and what that means for the sector's business prospects to Waymo's lawsuit against the DMV to protect trade secrets and what that means for the sector's pursuit of public trust, there's a lot to bark at here... and that's before we even get to Tesla programming FSD to run stop signs!
The Autonocats did not make it to CES in person this year, and were forced to cancel the triumphant return of their annual party there, but they still have hot takes a-plenty! Alex, Kirsten and Ed chop up the big news from the big show, and then dive into their traditional annual predictions.
Anna Haupt is a mobility tech renaissance woman, having worked in everything from the development of the Hövding inflatable bike helmet to the transition at NEVs toward a robotaxi strategy. Now a venture capitalist at Industriefonden, she joins The Autonocast to discuss her wide range of interests, with a special focus on robotaxi design and strategy.
Automotive enthusiasm was once thought to be on the glidepath to extinction, but in recent years the automotive internet has enjoyed a renaissance of car appreciation. Brad Brownell has been at the center of much of that resurgence, helping found paradigm-shifting events and communities like Radwood and now Autopia. Brad joins the show to talk cars, the reinvention of what it means to be a car fan, and the core value of inclusion that ties it all together.
For years there have been complaints about misuse of a statistic showing that humans error is the last link in an often-complex causal chain in fatal crashes. Those complaints have risen to a crescendo in recent weeks, as more prominent voices have risen to denounce the number as a distraction from solutions beyond automation. On this week's episode, the gang discusses the infamous statistic, why it's so divisive, what it says about the sector's relationship with other road safety movements, and how to move forward in a positive direction.
Tesla's confrontation with US auto safety regulators continues to ratchet up, as the automaker pulled a stealth OTA recall of an Autopilot issue that was under active NHTSA investigation. Meanwhile, the respected and outspoken critic of Autopilot safety (among many other topics) Missy Cummings was announced as special safety advisor to NHTSA, prompting an online harassment campaign by Tesla fans. The gang sorts through these developments, while leaving a little time for Alex to report on the annual Self Racing Cars trackday and for Ed to share an NTSB job listing.
The gang is getting back out from behind their computer screens, bringing back tales of test drives and conferences for the latest discussion episode. Kirsten has been the busiest of the bunch, as her first drives of the hot new EVs from RIvian and Lucid (and a factory tour of the latter startup) prompt discussion of their execution and manufacturing. Ed's also just back from Micromobility America, where he notes on some of the changes in that scene, and Alex would tell you what he's been up to but then he'd have to kill you.
When the recently-confirmed NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy tweeted about listening to The Autonocast, the gang had to reach out and ask if she would be willing to make time for her own appearance on the show. Having responded in the affirmative, Chair Homendy has now become the first sitting auto safety official to appear on The Autonocast. From NTSB's evolving mission in the driving automation era to the board's findings in a series of Tesla Autopilot crashes, this sweeping conversation introduces one of the most engaged and forward-thinking auto safety officials working in the field today.
Cars and mobility might not be the first thing you think about when you hear the name Qualcomm, but like other high tech titans the chip maker is betting big on the automotive market. Nakul Duggal is Qualcomm's Senior Vice President and General Manager of Automotive, and he joins the show to discuss his strategy to put the firm's technology at the foundation of next generation vehicles. From the differences between smartphones and cars to Qualcomm's bid for the supplier Veoneer, this week's Duggal explains his approach and ambitions in the automotive sector.