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

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.