Shift: A podcast about mobility

Michael Dunne, CEO and founder of advisory firm Dunne Insights, details how Chinese automotive startups like BYD asserted dominance [https://www.autonews.com/china/an-china-automakers-pas-legacy-automakers-0703/] over Detroit’s legacy carmakers.  He explores Ford CEO Jim Farley’s effusive praise of Chinese automakers [https://www.autonews.com/ford/an-ford-farley-manufacturing-base-tariffs-0627/] during the recent Aspen Ideas Festival and the difficulty legacy automakers have in keeping pace with clean-sheet tech startups. Finally, Dunne discusses a workaround that American consumers might utilize in purchasing Chinese EVs and avoiding high tariffs – buying lightly used vehicles from a Mexican dealership just across the border and then driving them into the U.S.

Jeremy Bird, executive vice president of driver experience at Lyft, explains how the company is working with Mobileye [https://www.autonews.com/technology/mobility/an-lyft-mobileye-dallas/], May Mobility [https://www.autonews.com/technology/mobility/an-lyft-forges-new-autonomous-partnerships/] and others to launch robotaxis in the near term. He explores the complementary and competitive aspects of relationships between ride-hailing networks and self-driving tech providers, and the pricing differences between human-driven and automated rides.  Further, Bird addresses how Lyft’s human drivers feel about their jobs in an environment when self-driving technology is becoming a reality in several American cities.

Kathleen Rizk, senior director in J.D. Power’s global automotive practice, and Lisa Boor, senior manager in the firm’s mobility benchmarking unit, address consumer confusion in the realm of driver-assist systems. They detail their latest consumer surveys, which reveal motorists do not find many driver-assist features useful and are unsure if these systems benefit safety or convenience. Rizk and Boor explore what that means for automakers, which have invested billions developing automated driving systems and intend to derive subscription revenue from next-generation technology. Further reading on that topic can be found here [https://www.autonews.com/technology/an-jd-power-adas-identity-crisis-0515/].

From his time inside a robotaxi startup, Alex Roy knows what it really takes to build a business around self-driving technology. The venture-capital partner, business advisor, podcast host and founder of the Human Driving Association examines Tesla’s pending robotaxi launch [https://www.autonews.com/technology/an-robotaxi-competition-waymo-tesla-0602/] in Austin, Texas, and discusses whether robotaxis can become a profitable business. He further discusses the capability of Tesla’s “Full Self Driving [https://www.autonews.com/tesla/an-tesla-nhtsa-fsd/]” software, considers Waymo’s head start and details the four companies he believes have the potential to become long-term leaders in automated driving.

The founder and co-director [https://www.autonews.com/shift-podcast-about-mobility/bryan-reimer-examines-balance-between-safety-and-convenience-driver/] of MIT’s Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium, Bryan Reimer, says the auto industry has been distracted by the allure of highly automated driving [https://www.autonews.com/mobility-report-newsletter/level-3-presents-complicated-mushy-middle-automated-driving/] and should place short-term focus on developing smarter collaborations between motorists and machines. Reimer further explores the nuances involved in distracted driving discussions and the business models associated with fully autonomous driving. Finally, as the Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium marks its 10th anniversary, he details the state of transportation research at a time of precarious federal funding.