Episode 394 | Autonomy Markets: Waymo Opens Orlando Service, But Who Will Take Mickey Mouse to the Parks?

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo’s expansion in Florida, Uber’s continued investments in physical assets, and the potential for agentic AI to disrupt traditional rideshare apps.With Waymo opening service to the general public in Miami and Orlando this week, the conversation evolves into a deeper discussion around Disney’s strategic alliances and which company, Waymo or Glydways, will eventually secure a contract to operate at Walt Disney World.Across the pond, Waymo began autonomous driving in London as Uber continues to pour capital into physical assets while doubling down on their Lucid investment with another $200 million. Uber’s physical asset strategy sparked a debate of whether or not Uber can truly remain asset-light and what impact agentic AI bots will have on their business.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss Japan’s autonomous vehicle investment goals, Tesla’s Netherlands FSD approval, and WeRide’s expansion into L2 ADAS.Episode Chapters00:00 Waymo Opens Miami & Orlando Markets, but No Disney World Yet01:36 The Mickey Mouse Tax: Who Gets the Disney Contract?07:54 Waymo Begins Autonomous Driving in London08:53 Wayve Raises $60M from Chipmakers12:32 Uber Doubles Down on Lucid22:27 Lyft's Flexdrive Nashville Depot for Waymo27:18 Will Agentic AI Make Rideshare Apps Obsolete?28:00 Maryland Lawmakers Fail to Vote, State Does Not Get Autonomous Vehicles30:36 Foreign Autonomy Desk32:58 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.