#110 – Alex Rodrigues | Embark – The “iPod” Approach to Automated Driving & What Winning Looks Like for Long Haul Truck Automation

Future of Mobility

Alex co-founded Embark and serves as Chief Executive Officer

Key topics in this conversation include:

• Alex’s path to co-founding Embark
• Why they chose to focus on trucking automation as the first application for self-driving technology
• How Alex thinks about competition
• Why Embark is taking the “iPod approach” instead of the “iPhone approach,” and initially focusing on the sunny areas in the US
• Automated laundry folding and house construction

Links:

• Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/AlexRodrigues
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodriguesalex/
• https://embarktrucks.com/
• Inaugural NHTSA ADS Crash Data Release Shows Embark With Perfect Safety Record
• Embark Partners with Texas Law Enforcement Agency, Marking Key Progress on Emergency Vehicle Interaction Technology
• Embark Trucks Completes Industry-First Autonomous Testing in Winter Conditions

Alex’s Bio:

Alex co-founded Embark and serves as Chief Executive Officer. Upon closing of Embark’s SPAC merger with Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp II, Alex became the youngest CEO of a publicly traded company.

Alex started building robots at age 11. As a middle schooler, he won a world robotics championship competing against high school teams. While studying at the University of Waterloo, Alex and co-founder Brandon Moak built Canada’s first self-driving vehicle, a golf cart named “Marvin” that was used to take guests on tours of the campus. Alex is a Thiel Fellowship recipient and was accepted into Silicon Valley’s premier startup incubator Y-Combinator, where he launched Embark.

About Embark:

Embark is an autonomous vehicle company building software for carriers to enable autonomous trucks within their fleets. We’re on a mission to build a world where consumers pay less for the things they need, drivers stay close to the homes they cherish, and roads are safer for the people we love.

Future of Mobility:

The Future of Mobility podcast is focused on the development and implementation of safe, sustainable, effective, and accessible mobility solutions, with a spotlight on the people and technology advancing these fields.

linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/

brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Edison Manufacturing:

At Edison Manufacturing, our specialty is building and assembling highly complex mobility products in annual quantities of ten to tens of thousands utilizing an agile, robust, and capital-light approach.