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In today's episode, I’m speaking with Alex Kendall, co-founder and CEO of Wayve, a leading AI company in the autonomous driving space. Founded in 2017, Wayve focuses on creating a general-purpose driving intelligence through an end-to-end AI model that can drive any vehicle anywhere without relying on pre-mapping. Alex talks about his journey from award-winning research at Cambridge to pioneering Wayve’s innovative technology, the global reach of their autonomous fleet over the past three months, and partnerships with major OEMs and Uber.

We also go into the scalability of their software, the integration with different hardware and sensor architectures, and the diverse applications in both consumer and shared fleet markets. Alex emphasizes the technology’s ability to handle complex driving scenarios and shares his vision for the future of autonomous mobility.

Chapters

(00:00 ) Introduction to Alex Kendall and Wayve

(01:17 ) Alex’s/Wayve’s accomplishments and milestones so far

(02:29 ) How does Wayve's AI work?

(03:35 ) Why they chose the end-to-end AI driver model

(05:05 ) Alex’s thoughts on the current AV landscape

(06:52 ) Hardware on the Wayve AVs

(08:20 ) What takes priority, hardware or maps?

(09:50 ) Insights into the future of AV hardware

(13:06 ) Importance of user data in AV deployment

(14:08 ) Wayve’s vs Tesla’s approach

(15:37 ) How is the Wayve end-to-end AI model more scalable than others?

(17:30 ) Wayve’s software compatibility with OEM vehicle hardware

(23:11 ) Insights on Wayve’s partnership with Uber

(28:29 ) Personally owned autonomous vehicles vs shared fleet (rideshare)

(30:34 ) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

- Harry

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