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This Week in The Autonomy Economy is presented by Koop Insurance, a specialist insurance provider focused on robotics and autonomous vehicles.
This Week in The Autonomy Economy, The Road to Autonomy Index returned 2.26%, Kodiak made history by selling the first autonomous truck that is owned and operated by a 3rd party, WeRide has ambitions to export robotaxis to the world and Uber is planning for the growth of autonomous vehicles.
Kodiak made history when they sold the first autonomous truck to a 3rd party, who is going to own and operate the asset. This is a major milestone in Kodiak’s business as they diligently work on building a diversified business.
One of the keys to their success in building a diversified business is their proprietary SensorPods. Kodiak’s SensorPods house cameras, LiDARs, and radars. They are easy to install, swap, and repair when needed. Since SensorPods can be swapped in a matter of minutes, there is no need to take the truck off the road for an extended period.
Could SensorPods be Kodiak’s long-term competitive advantage? SensorPods are used on their defense vehicles, including a Ford F-150 pickup truck and a RIPSAW M3 vehicle. They are also the same pods that are used on their autonomous trucks as well. SensorPods are Kodiak’s fuel—they enable autonomy, no matter the vehicle type.
In autonomy, we are starting to see more and more companies that are focused on diversifying their vehicle fleet. Waymo currently operates a fleet of Jaguar I-PACEs, with Hyundai IONIQ 5s and their custom-built Zeekr robotaxi scheduled to come online in the coming years.
WeRide is taking a similar approach to fleet diversification for their operations in 30 cities across nine countries. In Abu Dhabi, WeRide autonomous vehicles are currently available on Uber.
Uber might just be finding their autonomy mojo as they are finally beginning to take hold of the autonomy narrative and tell their story. This week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Dara Khosrowshahi highlighted the importance of Uber's hybrid network in an interview (video) with the Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Khosrowshahi is wise to highlight the importance of Uber’s hybrid network while properly setting exceptions about the impact that robotaxis will have on their business in the short-term.
Over the long-term, Uber has to truly define why Uber? While at the same time building a compelling platform for autonomy. What that platform looks like and what the benefits of that platform might be remain uncertain at the moment.
What is certain at the moment, is that Uber is going to have to lean into fleets and explore the possibility of creating an autonomous vehicle REIT-like venture with a 3rd party.
The golden age of autonomy has arrived. From off-road to on-road, autonomy is no longer a concept—it's a business.
Uber and Waymo parent Alphabet are The Road to Autonomy Index component companies
WHAT’S MOVING THE MARKETS | AUTONOMOUS TRUCKS
Kodiak Ushers in the Golden Age of Off-Road Autonomy
Kodiak Autonomous Truck, Owned and Operated by Atlas Energy | Source: Kodaik
The golden age of autonomy has officially begun in the oil and natural gas sector. For the first time in history, Kodiak, an autonomous trucking company, sold an autonomous truck that will be owned and operated by a 3rd party, Atlas Energy, an oil and gas services company.
Atlas Energy currently operates two Kodiak-powered autonomous trucks in the Permian Basin across West Texas and New Mexico, with plans for fleet expansion. To support the growth, Kodiak has opened an 18,000-square-foot facility in Odessa, Texas, and hired a team of 12 employees which is projected to reach 20 by the end of Q1 2025.
Hiring and opening an office in West Texas, signals to the market that Kodiak views the oil and natural gas industry as a growth market.
The commercialization of autonomous trucks has been a goal for the industry for many years, and it has now come to fruition. Kodiak is the first company to make autonomous trucking a real business, and this is a major step towards profitability for our company.
To date, these fully autonomous trucks (no safety driver) have successfully delivered over 100 loads of fracking sand. Soon, the deliveries will be in the thousands as the fleet grows.
Kodiak is becoming a business, a business that is diversified complete with a defense and on-highway business to complement their off-road oil and natural gas business. The learnings from each division and deployment are transferrable amongst the business units, making the Kodiak Driver an even more rigorous product.
Our take: Could more autonomous trucking companies look to follow Kodiak’s lead and expand into the oil and natural gas industry? Anything is possible. What we know today is that demand for oil and natural gas is only projected to grow.
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) is projecting that global oil demand could surpass 104 million barrels per day in 2025.
Next month, Dean Foreman, Chief Economist of the Texas Oil and Gas Association will once again be joining us on The Road to Autonomy podcast to share his quarterly outlook for the oil and natural gas market.
Kodiak is currently ranked #1 with a bullish outlook on the AUTONOMY LEADERBOARD in the autonomous trucks and defense categories.
ADVOCATING FOR THE AUTONOMY ECONOMY | SPONSORED
Automation and autonomy will strengthen the economy, create jobs, and reduce inflation. Council for Economic Resilience is dedicated to promoting the future of autonomy and automation for the benefit of the American public.
Get Engaged, Learn More visit CNFER.org
Council for Economic Resilience, Inc. is a 501(c)4 Advocacy Group that is dedicated to promoting the future of autonomy and automation for the benefit of the American people.
WHAT’S MOVING THE MARKETS | AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
WeRide Wants to Export Robotaxis to The World
WeRide Autonomous Vehicle | Source: WeRide
WeRide, based in Guangzhou, China, has ambitious plans to export robotaxis globally, targeting markets like Japan, Europe, and the Middle East.
Currently supported by the Chinese government, WeRide's aggressive expansion into 30 cities across nine countries suggests the CCP's growing interest in exporting autonomous vehicle technology.
If China's economic struggles continue and they accelerate autonomy exports, the global reaction could be swift. During his Senate confirmation hearing on January 16, 2025, Treasury Secretary nominee Scott Bessent addressed potential concerns, stating:
China is the most unbalanced economy in the world. They are in a severe recession and depression and they are attempting to export their way out of that.
WeRide's ambitious global expansion suggests China's growing interest in exporting autonomous vehicle technology, potentially as a strategic economic move.
If China continues to champion home-grown autonomous vehicle companies such as WeRide, concerns about how the United States and its allies will react will increase, potentially viewing it as a national security threat.
These concerns were echoed during the Senate confirmation hearing for Secretary of State on January 15, 2025, when Senator Rubio stated:
If we stay on the road we're on right now, in less than 10 years virtually everything that matters to us in life will depend on whether China will allow us to have it or not -- everything from the blood pressure medicine we take to what movies we get to watch.
If China continues to export apps, AI and autonomy to the world, Secretary Rubio would end up being correct. The U.S. versus China issue is significant, and one that we have discussed in-depth on Autonomy Markets and will continue to highlight, as China’s ambitions to export autonomy escalate.
In a January 24, 2025 interview with the Wall Street Journal, WeRide Founder & CEO stated the following:
We want to serve the global market. Wherever there’s a need for driverless taxis and buses—that’s where we want to go.
While Mr. Han might want to expand into areas of need, geopolitical issues will continue to be a central concern. These issues pose a clear risk to WeRide's global ambitions.
Our take: Autonomy is globalizing, with both the U.S. and China exporting autonomous driving technologies. Investors need to recognize the risks and opportunities that come with this expansion.
PIQUING OUR INTEREST
Aurora Continues to Prepare for Fully Autonomous Operations All signs point toward Aurora successfully launching fully autonomous operations from Dallas to Houston by April. On January 22nd, the company released Aurora Informational Report: Preparing for Driverless Operations detailing their preparations for launch.
Waymo Ramps Up Spending San Francisco Lobbying Efforts Last year, Waymo significantly increased its lobbying efforts in San Francisco, meeting with government officials 348 times, more than double the 137 times the company reported in 2023. Suggesting that Waymo views San Francisco as a key market and that the lobbying could potentially pave the way for Waymo to operate at the San Francisco International Airport (SFO).
Inceptio Technology is Exploring a U.S. IPO Inceptio Technology, a Chinese autonomous trucking company, is currently exploring a U.S. IPO that could occur as early as this year.
📰 Before these stories were featured here, they were available on Autonomy Times. Visit Autonomy Times today to stay up-to-date on the latest news and developments shaping the autonomy economy.
SOCIAL BUZZ | AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
Uber is Planning for the Growth of Autonomous Vehicles
Uber CEO: Being an Uber driver is a solid job for the next 10 years, but after that, autonomous vehicles will take over.
If you’ve ever been in a Waymo you know this isn’t a crazy thing to say.
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern)
1:54 PM • Jan 25, 2025
Fifteen, twenty years from now, there is a very good chance that your next Uber ride will be in an autonomous vehicle according to Dara Khosrowshahi.
Until then, Uber’s hybrid network (autonomous and human driven vehicles) will continue to grow as autonomous vehicle technology matures and scales.
Our take: Dara Khosrowshahi is now leaning into autonomy and taking control of the narrative while emphasizing the importance of the Uber platform. This is a strategic move by Mr. Khosrowshahi to try and de-emphasize the robotaxi risk.
Uber is a The Road to Autonomy Index component company
Uber is currently ranked #1 with a bullish outlook on the AUTONOMY LEADERBOARD in the software platforms category.
SOCIAL BUZZ | AUTOMATED DRIVING SYSTEMS (ADAS)
Rivian to Launch Hands-Free Driving System in 2025
Electric-vehicle maker Rivian plans to launch its advanced hands-free driver assistance systems in 2025 and its ‘eyes-off’ systems in 2026, CEO RJ Scaringe said. More here: reut.rs/4asZyDa
— Reuters Business (@ReutersBiz)
2:50 AM • Jan 24, 2025
While it’s not an autonomous system, it is a clear indicator that Rivian has autonomous plans for the future, as they are planning an “eyes-off” system for 2026. This is not an approach that we would advocate for as there are insurance, safety and system performance implications that go along with this approach, but it is the approach that they are taking.
On next week’s episode of The Road to Autonomy podcast, Sergey Litvinenko, CEO of Koop and Pete Bigelow from Automotive news joined Grayson Brulte to discuss the risks associated with commercializing an SAE Level 3 system.
Our take: Rivian could be going down a slippery slope. Only time will tell if this is the right approach for the company.
THE ROAD TO AUTONOMY INDEX WEEKLY PERFORMANCE
The Road to Autonomy Index® is a high-definition lens into the emerging world of autonomous vehicles and trucks. It is the world’s first and only pure-play index designed to measure the performance of the autonomous vehicle/truck market.
The Road to Autonomy Index Performance – Week of January 20, 2025
For the week of January 20th, The Road to Autonomy Index returned 2.26%, the S&P 500 returned 1.74% and the NASDAQ 100 returned 1.55%. The Road to Autonomy Index outperformed the S&P 500 by 0.52% and outperformed the NASDAQ 100 by 0.71%.
Year to Date (YTD), The Road to Autonomy Index has returned 5.67%
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THE ROAD TO AUTONOMY PODCAST
From Albuquerque to Texas: Torc Prepares for Commercial Operations
(January 21, 2025) Peter Vaughan Schmidt, CEO of Torc joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Torc is preparing to launch commercial operations in Texas.
AUTONOMY MARKETS PODCAST
Trump, Elon, Teamsters, and The Race for Autonomy: Who’s Steering the Future?
(January 25, 2025) 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.