Austin Next

The transportation landscape in Austin is rapidly transforming with the advent of electric and autonomous vehicles. Taking a pioneering stance, Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, is already offering the public the chance to experience their self-driving vehicles. Leading this revolution in Austin is Michael Staples, Cruise's General Manager for the region. In this episode, we explore the exciting advancements in autonomous vehicle technology happening here.

Episode Highlights
  • Austin was chosen for its dynamic tech ecosystem, welcoming attitude towards innovation, and regulatory environment conducive to the development of self-driving technologies.
  • Staples underlines Cruise's use of thorough safety studies, such as the 'Million Mile' report, to boost public trust and showcase their dedication to regulators.
  • By focusing on downtown nightlife, Cruise aims to better understand the needs of service workers, students, and young professionals, using less congested conditions to optimize their autonomous technology.
  • The upcoming Origin, a rider-centric vehicle with luxury amenities, a cargo unit, and wheelchair accessibility, represents a significant evolution from Cruise's current Chevy Bolt.
  • Increasing fleet size is a central strategy for Cruise in Austin, with goals to shorten wait times and broaden service coverage across the Austin Metro area.
  • Cruise's long-term vision includes giving back to communities by minimizing the need for parking spaces and saving users' time through efficient, autonomous transportation.
  • What’s next? “We expect to launch the Origin experience to the public later this year. We're excited to service some customers and you're going to see a lot of our Bolts running around. We're going to be expanding the market as well. We'll be able to slowly service more Austinites. So eventually we can get rides from our homes across town.”

Episode Links
Michael Staples: LinkedIn
Cruise Self-Driving Cars: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter,
Cruise 1 Million Mile Report

-------------------
Austin Next Links: Website, X/Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn
Ecosystem Metacognition Substack

What is Austin Next?

Austin is building the new tech, cultural, and intellectual stack. The region is a living laboratory to answer a single question: How do you build a global innovation superpower?

Host Jason Scharf dissects innovation from the individual to the ecosystem. From the soundstage to the data center to the fab, we decode the mechanics of Austin's innovation ecosystem.

As Atoms, Bits, and Intelligence converge, we explore how Hard Tech scale, digital velocity, and creative density collide. This is an audit of the future. We map the physics of the flywheel so builders and investors can navigate the chaos.