PAVEcast: A conversation about autonomous vehicles

In this PAVECast, we delve into the relationship between AVs, insurance, and public policy on both sides of the Atlantic. Our experts discuss the evolving landscape of AV technology, as well as its implications for insurers, policymakers, and the public in both the U.S. and the U.K.Guests include:Mike Nelson, Founder and Chairman of Quantiv RiskRuss Galbraith, Chief Deputy Insurance Commissioner at the Arkansas Insurance DepartmentRebecca Marsden, Vice President of Commercial Finance at OxaTony Cotto, Director of Auto and Underwriting Policy at NAMIC

Amazon, which is one of PAVE’s newest members, is redefining transportation through a global system that promotes safety and sustainability. For our first PAVEcast of 2024, we sat down with Tim Goodman, Amazon’s Associate General Counsel, Worldwide Road Safety and Compliance. Tim  highlighted Amazon’s approach and what the AV sector may learn from its approach, including leveraging technology and innovation for road safety.

While AVs are driving an evolution in transportation technology, urban policy is undergoing a renaissance of its own. City leaders are confronting the past century’s twin legacies of auto-centric infrastructure and sprawling development in order to improve safety, sustainability, and equity. How do AVs fit into the growing movement to build more livable communities and offer affordable, sustainable mobility options? Can AVs be a tool for reducing single-occupant vehicle trips and encouraging the adoption of alternative modes of transportation? Listen for a thoughtful exploration of these questions and more, featuring some of the leading thinkers on urban policy and transportation technology.Greg Rodriguez - Mobility Policy Principal, StantecSarah Kaufman - Interim Executive Director / Adjunct Professor of Planning, Rudin Center for Transportation - NYU Wagner SchoolDr. Billy Riggs - Program Director / Associate Professor, University of San Francisco - School of Management

This fourth PAVE Europe panel brings together the insurance and autonomous vehicle industries for a discussion on the impact of self-driving technology on the insurance sector.The panelists will discuss the risks associated with autonomous mobility, including cybersecurity threats, technology failures, and remote operator inattentiveness.  We will also delve into the fundamental shift in insuring autonomous vehicles: from retail auto insurance policies to product liability coverage.We will also address the crucial importance of collaboration between insurance and the AV ecosystem to ensuring that policyholders are protected, and that the benefits of autonomous mobility are realized.Listen as our moderator, Lukas Neckermann – a veteran of the insurance and AV industries and initiator of PAVE Europe – as he is joined by Margherita Atzei of Swiss Re, Jeroen Bartelse of Achmea, and Rebecca Marsden of Oxbotica for a dynamic and insightful discussion on this rapidly evolving sector.

Deploying AV technology on electric vehicle platforms can play a critical role in meeting global climate goals. In the United States, transportation is the #1 contributor to greenhouse gas emissions by sector — and to deliver on a sustainable mobility future, we must adopt an all-of-the-above approach to decarbonizing transportation. This includes transitioning from combustion engines to electric vehicles, reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips, making each trip more efficient through shared rides and batched deliveries, and encouraging the use of alternative modes of transportation.AVs will help to democratize access to sustainable mobility through making zero-emission passenger mobility and goods delivery available to the public. Autonomy also provides an opportunity to rethink how vehicles are designed and used: Purpose-built vehicles that will never have a driver can be built for comfortable shared rides and batching deliveries from local stores to multiple homes in one trip. These new vehicle designs, combined with automated driving systems that are never intoxicated nor distracted, can increase the safety and comfort of people walking, biking, rolling, and using transit—thereby encouraging a greater shift to alternative transportation modes.Listen as we explore the wide range of opportunities for AVs to deliver on more sustainable mobility with Tracy Cheung, Head of Sustainability at Cruise and Matthew Lipka, Head of Policy at Nuro.

This virtual panel session will examine the connection between the transition from conventional driving to autonomous driving behavioral changes and ethical issues. The panelists will delve into the implications for the development of automated vehicles, including the need for clear ethical guidelines and the role of drivers and passengers in these systems. The panel will also discuss the behavioral changes that are likely to accompany the widespread deployment of automated vehicles, including changes in road usage, vehicle ownership patterns, and transportation habits.In this third PAVE Europe Panel, we will talk to experts from the private, academic and public sector about the ethical implications of these changes, including questions of transportation equity and the distribution of benefits and costs. Panelists will also discuss the role of regulators and policymakers in ensuring that the transition to automated driving is guided by ethical principles that prioritize public safety, privacy, and other important considerations.Panelists:Adriaan Heino – Traffic Psychologist, InterpolisSuzanna Kraak – Policy Officer, European CommissionSimeon C. Calvert, PhD – Assistant Professor, Delft University of Technology

Autonomous vehicles are quickly transforming the way we look at agriculture. AVs offer promising solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the agricultural industry — from labor shortages to the need for greater efficiency. Autonomous vehicles allow farmers to monitor their land in real-time, reduce labor costs, and increase production output. With the help of AV technology, farmers can also increase safety in their fields, improve crop management, and reduce their environmental footprint.John Deere has a long history of bringing innovation to the agricultural industry. Today, John Deere is investing in the future of farming by developing next-generation AV equipment and making these technologies accessible to producers across the country. We sat down to chat with Noah Schwartz, Lead Perception Engineer at Bear Flag Robotics — a developer of autonomous technology for agriculture equipment acquired by John Deere in 2021. Noah shared how John Deere is making the future of agriculture a reality today.

Automated driving technology will catalyze a significant change in how vehicles are designed and used for the first time in a century. At the same time, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is advancing a historic reinvestment in America’s transportation infrastructure. This investment presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to coevolve new vehicle technologies with advanced infrastructure to deliver on a smarter, safer, and more efficient transportation network. Join us to discuss the future of AVs and smart infrastructure with Kristin White, Chief Operating Officer of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, and Mark de la Vergne, Vice President of Project Development and External Affairs of Cavnue. Kristin and Mark will provide insights into the opportunity to develop a modern transportation system that can help to realize the full benefits of emerging transportation technologies. This webinar will explore the current state of our national infrastructure in relation to automated vehicles and discuss the path forward for building a smarter transportation system.

Across the automated vehicle sector, the leadership of inspiring women is transforming transportation and propelling these new technologies forward. In honor of Women’s History Month, we sat down with Indu Vijayan, Head of Product Management at Aeye and founder of the group Women in Autonomy, to talk about the critical role women play in the AV industry.Women in Autonomy is a forum created to educate, equip and empower women building autonomous technology. The group aims to strengthen the AV sector by pushing for women’s representation in the industry, by highlighting women’s leadership, and by creating opportunities for women and girls to explore careers in the burgeoning field.Tune in to this #PAVEcast episode to learn more about Women in Autonomy and how the group is working to change the landscape for women in the AV industry.

Public transit is a vital part of everyday life for communities across the country, providing millions of Americans with access to jobs, health care, groceries, education, and other essentials. Transit is the backbone of the mobility ecosystem for many urbanized areas, and is a transportation lifeline in communities across the country—yet 45% of Americans do not have access to transit. Innovative public-private partnerships are beginning to reveal a range of use cases where autonomous vehicles (AVs) can augment existing transit networks.In recent years, transit agencies and AV developers have collaborated on pilot projects to explore how AVs can enhance mobility options for transit users. Incorporating AVs into public transit can help to connect riders to more transit routes and destinations with right-sized vehicles that can increase efficiency. In order to maximize the benefits of autonomy, we must also consider how to effectively introduce AVs alongside existing mobility options, prioritize accessibility for people with disabilities and older adults, and educate riders on how to interact with these new services.Panelists:Allanté Whitmore, Director, Autonomous Vehicle Initiative, Securing America's Future Energy (SAFE)Daisy Wall, Director of Government Business, May Mobility

The integration of on-demand autonomous vehicle (AV) services into public transport systems has the potential to revolutionize the way we move around our cities and rural areas. By providing more flexible and accessible transportation options, on-demand AV services could help reduce traffic congestion, lower emissions, and improve the overall efficiency of public transport networks. However, there are also a number of challenges associated with this integration, including concerns around safety, equity, and the impact on existing public transport services. This topic is of great interest to a wide range of stakeholders, including public transport authorities and operators, technology companies and citizens.The panel will explore the opportunities and challenges associated with the integration of on-demand AV services into public transport systems, including the potential to improve the efficiency, accessibility, and sustainability of public transport. The discussion will also focus on the role of technology and policy in enabling this integration and ensuring that it is inclusive and equitable for all members of the community.The virtual panel session brings together experts from various backgrounds such as public transport authority and technology companies. Panelists will share their perspectives on the potential benefits and risks of on-demand AV services in public transport and explore strategies for maximizing the positive impacts of these technologies.Panelists:Christian Lichtmannecker – MobileyeFreya Hofmann – ioki – Digital Public TransportLars Gunnar Lundestad – Ruter As

Earlier this year,  Zoox began operating its electric and autonomous vehicles on public roads in California. This was a major milestone for AV technology, as Zoox’s robotaxis are exclusively designed for autonomous passenger transportation—and therefore do not have a driver’s seat, steering wheel, or other controls for a human driver.Zoox’s robotaxi highlights the opportunity to fundamentally rethink traditional vehicle designs, which revolve around the assumption of a human in the driver’s seat. This assumption was also built into many of the decades-old regulations that govern vehicles in the United States, known as the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).Amanda Prescott, Director of Homologation at Zoox, joined us on the PAVEcast to discuss how the company worked to deploy their robotaxi within a federal regulatory framework that was designed with human drivers in mind. Amanda led Zoox’s effort to gain approval to operate its robotaxi on public roads in California, as well as the company’s process to self-certify its robotaxi to FMVSS. Tune in to hear Amanda discuss how Zoox navigated legacy vehicle regulations to make their innovative robotaxi service a reality. 

Humanising Autonomy has every intention of staying true to their name as they work to ensure that machines and AI can better understand naturalistic human behavior and intention. As smart machines become more ubiquitous in our lives, understanding how to connect the comprehension of machines to people in the real world will become more important than ever. In this episode of the PAVEcast, we will dive into how Humanising Autonomy is working to bridge the gap between humans and machines. By teaching computers to understand the nuances of human behavior, Humanising Autonomy is hoping to increase the safety, efficiency, and utility of automated machines.Join us as we talk with Kim Vigilia, vice president of strategy at Humanising Autonomy, for a great discussion about the future of machine learning and comprehension.  

PAVE works closely with member organization National Federation of the Blind to support technologies that could provide new transportation and mobility options for blind people. In this edition of the PAVEcast, we sat down with John Pare, Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy at NFB, on the convention floor of CES in Las Vegas.In the wide-ranging conversation, John shared the promise that AV technology offers for blind individuals, what some of NFB’s priorities are for 2023, and how partnerships with technology companies and groups like PAVE can help them to reach their goals.

Recent studies have shown that the successful deployment of connected and automated vehicles will largely depend on public opinion. Expectations and concerns are essential components driving the speed of market uptake and final adoption of these technologies. Citizens currently have mixed perceptions of autonomous vehicles (AVs), with excitement about the technology’s potential for improving transportation and reducing accidents, but also concerns about safety, cybersecurity, and job loss. They also envision a future where AVs improve accessibility for those who currently have difficulty using traditional forms of transportation.Studies suggest that citizens expect AVs to become more prevalent on the roads in the next decade, with a growing number of people considering using AVs for daily commutes. They also expect AVs to be more affordable, more accessible and safer than human-driven vehicles.In this first PAVE Europe Panel, we will talk to experts from the private and the public sector about how they envisage the current state of AV technology in Europe, and how citizens view the technology and its potential impact on transportation and mobility. The panelists will share their insights and perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for the implementation of AVs in Europe, and how it might impact the society as a whole.Guests:Monica Grosso – Scientific/Technical Support OfficerTransport Economist, European Commission, DG Joint Research CentreArwed Schmidt – Director Strategic Initiatives – Passenger Transportation, EasymileLaura Alčiauskaitė – Project Coordinator, European Network on Independent Living (ENIL)

For the past hundred years, automobiles and insurance have been interwoven.  So, as vehicles become increasingly automated,  the insurance industry has to grow and adapt. Currently, automotive insurance calculations rely on decades of actuarial data, crash statistics, and legacy methodologies to determine risk and liability. With a new era of AV technology on the horizon, what will insurance look like?In this episode of the PAVEcast, we chatted with Steve Miller, Innovation Lead with the Insurance Office of America to discuss how the insurance industry is preparing for autonomy. We wanted to know how insurance companies evaluate AVs and what it will look like to provide coverage of a vehicle without a driver.Listen in for a great conversation about how insurance is adapting to an autonomous future.

PAVE Member Oxbotica - the UK-based global leader in autonomous vehicle software for businesses - is on a mission to make the Earth move better by unlocking the benefits of self-driving technology to every person and organisation on the planet.Together with Australian-based electronic and software technology company, Applied EV, they are accelerating the commercial applications of fully autonomous, zero-occupancy vehicles.At CES 2023, we were thrilled to sit down with the CEOs of both companies to discuss the year ahead for their organizations and their vision for the partnership. In this PAVEcast, Oxbotica CEO Gavin Jackson and Applied EV CEO Julian Broadbent provided some insight into their joint project: a vehicle that is designed for a wide range of environments and commercial applications, beginning with industrial logistics and goods delivery.Join host Lukas Neckermann from PAVE Europe for an insightful discussion with these two AV leaders!

PAVE member Gatik is an AV trucking company focused on the “middle-mile,” delivering goods from fulfillment centers to pick-up points such as retail stores and distribution centers. The company has seen significant growth and has announced major partnerships, including with Walmart in the U.S. and Loblaw in Canada.We wanted to hear more about what’s on the horizon for Gatik, so we sat down with Rich Steiner, Gatik’s Head of Policy and Communication, on the convention floor of CES in Las Vegas. In this episode of the PAVEcast, Steiner shared where Gatik is headed in 2023 and their vision for expansion and scaling in the future. He discussed how companies like Gatik fit into supply chain management and shared Gatik’s approach to safety, regulation, inclement weather, and more.Tune in for this wide-ranging conversation with Gatik at CES! 

PAVE member Ouster is a leading lidar manufacturer that has worked to transform lidar from an analog device with thousands of components to a digital device powered by one chip-scale laser array and sensor.At CES 2023, we sat down with Ouster CEO and Co-founder Angus Pacala to talk about the company’s plans for 2023 and to hear his thoughts on the lidar industry’s growth and future.  He also shared his vision for the recently-announced merger between Ouster and Velodyne Lidar. You won’t want to miss this PAVEcast discussion on the “vision” for the future of autonomous vehicle technology!

The Governors Highway Safety Association is a national nonprofit dedicated to improving highway safety by addressing the behavioral issues that lead to crashes, injuries, and deaths on America’s roads. GHSA works with the highway safety offices in every U.S. state on programs to improve traffic safety.At CES 2023, the PAVEcast sat down with GHSA Executive Director Jonathan Adkins for a great conversation about his organization’s mission and their vision for how new technologies can help to reduce road fatalities.Listen in to find out how GHSA sees technological innovation as an important tool in its goal to move toward zero deaths on U.S. highways.