A significant shift in autonomous vehicle policy appears imminent with President-elect Trump’s plans to implement a national autonomous vehicle framework. Key cabinet appointments, including Congressman Duffy for Transportation Secretary and Pam Bondi for Attorney General, signal strong support for autonomy.

The incoming administration is strategically positioning pro-autonomy officials, with Stephen Miller of the America First Policy Institute playing a crucial role in policy implementation. Regulatory clarity could accelerate autonomous vehicle deployment across state lines and investment, though bureaucratic resistance within the Department of Transportation and NHTSA remains a concern.

The market implications of these developments are already evident, with Altimeter Capital’s Brad Gerstner selling his entire Uber position due the growing competition Tesla and Waymo. Meanwhile, competition from has China intensified as Baidu completed 691,000 fully autonomous rides in Q3 2024, even though this still trails Waymo’s estimated 2 million autonomous rides in Q3.

The emergence of Chinese autonomous vehicle companies including WeRide and Pony AI in public markets, along with Baidu’s announcement of a sub-$35,000 self-driving car, indicates the global race for autonomous vehicle leadership is accelerating as we prepare to enter 2025.

Episode Chapters 0:00 Investor Sentiment on Autonomous Vehicles 4:51 Tesla, Uber, Lyft Catalysts 14:28 Uber Autonomy Investments 15:46 Toyota and Pony AI 17:12 Jaguar's Rebrand Impact on Waymo 19:28 Trump's Autonomous Vehicle Personal 27:02 Autonomous Vehicles in China 20:35 U.S. Policies 37:37 Next Week

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