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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Julian Glaab, co-founder and CEO of bliq.ai, a Berlin-based autonomous mobility company that recently received Europe’s first approval for road operations without a driver behind the wheel in Estonia. Julian shares the story of how Bliq evolved from a ride hailing platform into an autonomous vehicle company, the challenges of making that transition, and why he believes the future of autonomy extends well beyond traditional robotaxi services.
We discuss Bliq’s unique approach to autonomous vehicles, including its vision for privately owned driverless cars, the role of teleoperation in enabling safe deployments, and the technology stack powering its vehicles. Julian also explains why the Hyundai IONIQ 5 has become a popular platform for autonomous vehicle developers, how much their AV stack costs, and the different ways Bliq plans to commercialize its autonomous vehicle technology, including a subscription model for private users.
The conversation also explores the broader autonomous vehicle landscape in Europe, including the region’s regulatory environment, how it compares to the United States, and why Bliq chose a different path to commercialization than many of its peers. Finally, Julian shares where people can experience Bliq’s vehicles today, the most promising use cases for autonomous vehicles in Europe, and what’s next for the company as it expands its driverless operations.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to Julian Glaab
(02:35) Bliq’s history and how they evolved from ride hailing to autonomous vehicles, including the challenges involved, and public perception
(10:10) Julian’s definition of a robotaxi, and Bliq’s approach to building driverless cars for private ownership
(14:06) The current state of Bliq’s teleoperation and their approach to safety
(15:05) Bliq’s tech stack
(16:28) Why Bliq (and most of the AV industry) chose the Hyundai IONIQ 5 platform
(18:25) Bliq’s fleet size, and the cost of their AV stack/vehicles
(21:12) Bliq’s business model, and how their AV subscription model unlocks new use cases for private users
(23:41) Is Bliq more of an AV operator or an AV provider?
(26:25) Why Bliq didn’t start as a robotaxi provider and future plans for AV ride hailing
(27:40) The most valuable use cases for autonomous vehicles in Europe
(30:30) How restrictive the European AV regulatory landscape is, how it compares to the U.S., and the way forward
(35:20) How Bliq’s teleoperation works, its advantages, challenges, and the critical metrics they look out for
(42:04) Where to find Julian and Bliq’s AVs
(44:00) Conclusions and final thoughts
Notes/Links:
Bliq Receives Europe’s First Approval for Fully Driverless Road Operation. Without a Driver Behind the Wheel (link).
-Harry
