Episode 413 | Autonomy Markets: WeRide Is Catching Up to Waymo Globally

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss WeRide trying to catch up to Waymo globally, Waymo preparing to deploy Chinese-made robotaxis in Texas and the CEO of FedEx Freight's open embracement of autonomous trucking.As WeRide and Uber continue to expand throughout Europe and the Middle East together, Waymo continues to work towards deploying the Chinese-made Zeekr robotaxis now called the Ojai, with data suggesting they are now in Texas, in a politically risky move.FedEx Freight CEO John Smith declared autonomous trucks ready for prime time, a signal Grayson reads alongside Amazon entering the freight business and Uber selling down another stake in Aurora. With Amazon running one of the most sophisticated freight networks in the world and FedEx now a standalone public company, the pressure on Uber Freight is building.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt Uber's continued European push by partnering with Autobrains on a Munich robotaxi service pending regulatory approval, and Saudi Arabia's PIF-backed Humain partnered with NVIDIA to deploy robotaxis in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Episode Chapters00:00 SpaceX IPO3:53 WeRide and Uber Expand Across Europe7:39 Waymo Registers 45 Zeekrs in Texas10:30 Waymo's New Tampa Depot15:36 Uber Sells Down Its Aurora Stake16:33 Why Amazon Hasn't Bought an Autonomous Trucking Company?23:04 Avride Robotaxis in Texas25:26 Serve Robotics Moves Into Laundry26:29 Ferrari Rules Out Autonomy28:56 Foreign Autonomy Desk30:27 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.