In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Xiaodi Hou, founder and CEO of Bot Auto, a company making big strides in autonomous trucking. Most recently, they completed their first human-less autonomous truck validation run — a major milestone in the push toward fully driver-out operations.

We talk about Xiaodi’s journey before founding Bot Auto, how the autonomous vehicle landscape has evolved over the years, his perspective on whether autonomous driving has truly been “solved,” and the key milestones Bot Auto has hit on its road to commercialization. Xiaodi also dives into the cost savings from driver-out operations, and the unique economics of running a driverless fleet. We unpack how Bot Auto is able to achieve multiple operational milestones with relatively small capital and what it’ll take to boost revenue beyond their cost per mile.

We also discuss the business side of autonomy — from Bot Auto’s model and approach to optimizing costs, to balancing cutting-edge technology with the realities of operations and customer acquisition. Xiaodi explains why Bot Auto doesn’t see itself as competing against human drivers, but rather solving the industry’s biggest pain points and creating value where it’s needed most.