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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Ethan McKanna, an autonomous vehicle power user, industry observer, and the creator of Robotaxi Tracker. Ethan returns to the podcast to share what inspired him to build the platform and how he gathers data to track autonomous vehicle deployments.
We discuss the metrics Robotaxi Tracker covers, how Tesla’s fleet numbers compare with Waymo’s, and the methods Ethan uses to identify and count vehicles. Ethan also explains some of the common misinterpretations of the data and the steps he takes to help people understand what the numbers actually tell us.
We also explore how companies, cities, and the press interact with Robotaxi Tracker, and how the platform could help cities better understand autonomous vehicle activity on their streets. Ethan shares how much time goes into maintaining the project, his thinking around monetization, and what could make the data more accurate.
Finally, we discuss potential new features, why utilization is such an anticipated metric, and what Ethan’s data reveals about other operators, including Zoox and Avride.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to Ethan McKanna
(01:39) What inspired Ethan to build Robotaxi Tracker
(03:29) The main use cases for Robotaxi Tracker and its goal
(04:45) What metrics does Robotaxi Tracker cover?
(07:25) How Robotaxi Tracker focuses on objective data points for AV deployments
(08:50) Overview of the Robotaxi Tracker user interface/experience
(09:40) Tesla’s Robotaxi/Cybercab fleet numbers and how they were gathered
(15:07) Tesla vs. Waymo fleet numbers
(17:37) What is the most popular/cited data from Robotaxi Tracker?
(18:27) What data should we watch out for?
(20:30) What do people get wrong about the AV data on Robotaxi Tracker?
(22:20) Steps Ethan takes to curb misinterpretation of the AV data on Robotaxi Tracker
(23:35) How Ethan uses cameras along with other methods to identify/analyze AV fleet numbers
(24:30) How Ethan interacts with the major AV stakeholders, including companies, cities, and the press
(25:45) How Robotaxi Tracker could help cities understand AV deployments
(27:02) How much time Ethan spends on Robotaxi Tracker
(27:35) Are there any downsides for AV operators to having their data published on Robotaxi Tracker?
(28:29) How Ethan is thinking about the business aspect of Robotaxi Tracker and monetization
(29:35) What could make Robotaxi Tracker more accurate?
(31:34) What new features Ethan might add to Robotaxi Tracker
(33:00) Why utilization could be the most anticipated feature on Robotaxi Tracker
(35:06) What his data reveals about AV operators like Zoox and Avride
(38:53) Conclusion and final thoughts
Notes/Links:
-Harry
