#208 – Michael Granoff | Maniv – Chinese EVs, The End of “Mobility” & Finding the Right Investments

Alex Roy is a well-known thought leader and expert in the mobility space. He joins to explore what’s real in the autonomy space, the importance of effective strategy and discernment, the challenges of effectively communicating and marketing new technologies, and more. Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/alexroy Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home https://www.johnson-roy.com/ https://x.com/AlexRoy144 Takeaways To determine the maturity of autonomous vehicle technology, it is important to go and see for oneself how the technology performs in real-world conditions. Strategic thinking and discernment are crucial in separating the good ideas from the bad ones and focusing on what truly matters in a given scenario. Building a good product that meets customer needs and creates trust is essential for success in the mobility industry. Navigating regulatory environments and cultural attitudes towards automation can present significant challenges for companies in the mobility space. Understanding culture is essential for success in the autonomous vehicle industry. Simulation should consider the political environment of the markets where deployment is planned. Identify potential risks that could kill the business and proactively prevent them. The quality of people and their ability to work together is crucial for success. The future of autonomous vehicles depends on market forces, capital markets, and regulatory regimes. Alex Roy Bio: Former self-driving technology executive, automotive journalist and race driver, Alex Roy is best known for leading the first team in 23 years to break the Cannonball Run driving record, crossing the USA in 31 hours and 4 minutes. He has also broken the EV record 3 times, and still holds the Tesla Autopilot and 3-wheeled ICE records, the latter in a Morgan 3-Wheeler. Alex is also co-founder of the Autonocast and The Drive, founder of the Human Driving Association, author of The Driver, producer of APEX: The Secret Race Across America, and Chairman Emeritus of The Moth storytelling series. As Director of Special Operations at Argo.AI, Roy pioneered concepts like Universal Basic Mobility and Roy’s Razor—the litmus test for autonomous systems. Roy has written for Bloomberg, Road & Track, and Jalopnik, has appeared on CNN, NBC, Fox News, Cheddar, and TF1, and has spoken at the FBI, SXSW, TedX, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, and Carnegie Mellon. Johnson and Roy: Joel Johnson and Alex Roy met in 2005 in Lower Manhattan as Alex prepared to break the Cannonball Run driving record. From a love of speed, science fiction, Sondheim and Opeth, they collaborated across digital media, establishing and expanding technology and mobility brands such as WIRED, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, The Drive, Wirecutter, Autonocast, and more. Passion for technology and mobility brought them from media and manufacturing to robotics, self-driving and AI, first individually with clients such as General Motors and Argo AI; then together in shared practice, based on the belief that the only way to predict the future is to drive towards it. 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods. linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/ brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Richard Hawwa is a Managing Director at Nomura Greentech, leading the Mobility and Automotive Technology practice in the Americas. Richard has 18 years of investment banking and operational experience, having advised on M&A and capital raising transactions with an aggregate value of more than $125 billion. Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/richardhawwa Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-hawwa-42a64b44/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 05:42 Misconceptions About Raising Capital 09:46 The Significance of Cash Burn and Gross Margin 12:13 Understanding the Importance of Cash and Margin 16:19 The Skepticism of Investors and Founders 18:26 The Never-Ending Fundraising Process 22:31 The Importance of Scalability in Building a Business 24:45 The Dichotomy of Venture-Backed Startups and Bootstrapped Businesses 27:48 Scaling a Business: Manufacturing and Bomb Cost 33:04 Building a Sustainable Competitive Moat 34:57 The Role of Capital Deployment 37:47 The Importance of Trust and Reputation in Relationships 41:09 The Value of Domain-Specific Experience 46:32 Conclusion Keywords investment banking, raising capital, financial picture, misconceptions, capital market, funding, milestones, revenue projections, scalability, marketing, building a business, fundraising, scaling, manufacturing, bomb cost, economies of scale, vertical integration, competitive moats, capital deployment, trust, reputation, domain-specific experience, CFO Richard Hawwa Bio: Richard is a Managing Director at Nomura Greentech, leading the Mobility and Automotive Technology practice in the Americas. Richard has 18 years of investment banking and operational experience, having advised on M&A and capital raising transactions with an aggregate value of more than $125 billion. Richard most recently served as the Chief Financial Officer at Embark Trucks, a NASDAQ-listed developer of self-driving software. He was instrumental in taking Embark public and its subsequent strategic sale in 2023, having helped raise $300 million in public and private capital. Prior to joining Embark in 2021, Richard served as a Managing Director at Citigroup, responsible for coverage of companies in the global mobility and automotive sector, advising and executing strategic M&A and capital raising transactions. Throughout his career, Richard has served as a relationship and execution leader across a variety of sectors and clients and, in this capacity, is actively involved with management teams and Board of Directors in new idea generation, capital raising transactions, strategic and valuation/defense reviews, acquisition and divestiture implications and overall strategic and capital raising advisory services. Richard’s broad industry and transaction experience has been instrumental in supporting new and sustainable technologies in complex transactions and bringing his operational and transaction experience to the benefit of clients. Nomura Greentech: Nomura Greentech is a global investment banking advisory firm that supports companies in Capital Raising, M&A and Strategy. The team has the deepest transactional experience across Wall Street to provide real-time advice and form long-term partnerships with clients with access to investors globally 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods. linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/ brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Ian Rust, founder and CEO of Revoy, discusses their innovative approach to hybridizing the propulsion system of commercial vehicles. Revoy's solution involves adding a third electric vehicle to the traditional tractor-trailer setup, allowing for significant cost savings and decarbonization. Links Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/ianrust Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-rust-85a41b43/ https://www.revoy.com/ Takeaways: Revoy's innovative approach to hybridizing the propulsion system of commercial vehicles involves adding a third electric vehicle to the traditional tractor-trailer setup. The main challenge in electrifying the commercial vehicle space is the high cost and limited lifespan of current electric vehicle technology. Revoy addresses this challenge by using lithium iron phosphate batteries, which have a longer cycle life and can go over 10,000 cycles. Revoy also offers a battery swapping technology that integrates with the existing trailer-to-truck interface, allowing for quick and efficient swaps during long-haul trips. The hybrid solution provided by Revoy improves efficiency, performance, and safety for commercial vehicles. Revoi coordinates the electric powertrain with the pedal to make the transition to electric trucks seamless for drivers. The commercial model charges based on the unit of energy, similar to diesel, and there is no need for modifications to fill up the tank with a pre-charged battery pack. Chapters Hybrid Vehicles and Propulsion Systems Electrifying Commercial Vehicles: The Modular Approach Operational Considerations and Safety in Electric Vehicle Deployment Strategic Viability and Cost Competitiveness Building a Strong Team: Trust, Empowerment, and Passion Cultural Focus: Safety, Minimum Viable Product, and What Not to Do Early Adoption of Electrification in Fleets Rethinking the Tractor-Trailer Setup Advancements in Technology Conclusion Ian Rust Bio: Ian Rust is an innovator, founder and roboticist with over 14 years of experience of automation and robotics in the clean transportation and the sustainability industry, with the goal of moving trucking into a more sustainable future. Ian has been passionate about technology and how it is impacted by and impacts people and historical trends.Ian founded Revoy (formerly SixWheel), a company backed by Y Combinator, in 2021, creating an autonomous vehicle technology to address climate change. Prior to founding Revoy, Ian led robotics projects at Amazon Lab126 and Google X, later moving into starting notable robotics companies as the founding engineer of Cruise Automation and serving on the early team at Covariant and Petra. Rust holds a B.S. and M.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he focused on robotics. About Revoy: Revoy, a simple and truly viable alternative solution to decarbonize the trucking industry, is democratizing electric trucking and providing a clear pathway for existing trucking fleets to completely eliminate emissions. Revoy’s charging infrastructure and innovative Revoy swapping network aims to be the backbone of the future of electric road freight, allowing fleets to lower carbon emissions and costs, while increasing MPG by over 150%. This technology is made in the USA, FMVSS compliant and compliant with all length and weight (bridge and GVW) regulations. 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods. linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/ brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Chris Birroni-Bird joins for a Round 2 discussion on the Future of Mobility podcast. Summary The conversation explores the broken transportation ecosystem and how the developed world can learn from the developing world. The focus is on creating a transportation system that is accessible, affordable, and sustainable. The discussion highlights the need to right-size vehicles, embrace solar power, and rethink mobility in city centers. Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/chrisborronibird Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home Takeaways The transportation ecosystem needs to be accessible, affordable, and sustainable. Right-sizing vehicles can meet 90% of transportation needs and reduce costs. Solar power can extend the range of vehicles and reduce emissions. Rethinking mobility in city centers can improve safety and create local manufacturing opportunities. Low-speed or banned cars and smaller form factor vehicles can enhance the urban environment. Implementing speed limits in city centers can improve safety, noise, and air quality. Electronically governing the speed of vehicles can create opportunities for low-speed vehicles to provide affordable mobility for underserved populations and cheaper delivery of goods. Building locally with locally available materials can create good quality jobs and promote sustainability. Right-sizing vehicles and leveraging solar power can make mobility solutions more affordable and environmentally friendly. Chris Birroni-Bird Dr. Christopher Borroni-Bird is Founder of Afreecar LLC and an expert on sustainable and affordable mobility for ALL the world’s people. This builds on his 25-year career leading advanced mobility initiatives at several major organizations as well as volunteering in sub-Saharan Africa. At Afreecar he is a senior advisor on future mobility to McKinsey and is also sought out to provide independent technical due diligence on future mobility solutions and companies in vehicle autonomy, connectivity and electrification. Separately, Afreecar is also developing an e-kit that power assists non-motorized vehicles while also transforming them into mobile power sources, which has many applications in both the developing and developed worlds. He served as Waymo’s Chief Engineer for Future Vehicle Programs and has been a Research Scientist at MIT Media Lab. From 2012 to 2017, he was Qualcomm’s VP of Strategic Development, responsible for wireless automotive solutions. Prior to this, he led GM’s Electric Networked Vehicle (EN-V), the world’s first drivable vehicles to demonstrate today’s accepted vision of future mobility (and extensively deployed at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo). He led GM’s Autonomy, Hy-wire and Sequel “skateboard” electric vehicle concepts, now widely adopted by the Auto Industry, and has 50 patents. He is co-author of “Reinventing the Automobile: Personal Urban Mobility for the 21st Century”, with Larry Burns and the late Bill Mitchell (MIT Press, 2010). Before joining GM in 2000, he led Chrysler’s gasoline fuel cell vehicle development. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame as a Young Leader in 2000 and was one of Automotive News’ inaugural “Electrifying 100” in 2011 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

Jason Marks is co-founder and CEO at TELO. TELO makes intelligently designed, compact electric vehicle trucks for city living and weekend adventuring. Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/jasonmarks Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home https://telotrucks.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmurraymarks/ Keywords Telo Trucks, electric mini trucks, purpose-built, urban living, weekend adventuring, truck size, negative impacts, safety, sustainability, battery pack, sensor-based safety systems, Telo, vehicle safety, pedestrian safety, collision outcomes, cost-effective manufacturing, customer demand, efficiency and effectiveness Takeaways Telo Trucks is focused on building electric mini trucks optimized for urban living and weekend adventuring. Trucks have become too big, causing negative impacts on the environment, safety, and mobility. Telo Trucks is taking a purpose-built approach, designing a vehicle that is optimized for its intended use. They have developed a battery pack that is 50% more space efficient and implemented sensor-based safety systems to anticipate and prevent collisions. Telo is focused on building a vehicle that prioritizes the safety of pedestrians and vulnerable road users. They aim to optimize the design of the vehicle to minimize the risk of severe injuries or fatalities in the event of a collision. Telo emphasizes the importance of cost-effective manufacturing by leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and contract manufacturing. They have demonstrated customer demand through pre-orders and fleet discussions, and believe it is possible to build a sustainable company by focusing on efficiency and effectiveness. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Problem Statement 05:41 The Need for a Different Approach 12:55 Designing and Developing the Vehicle 18:33 Active and Passive Safety Systems 25:35 Cost-Effective Manufacturing for Low and Mid-Volume Vehicles 28:06 Demonstrating Customer Demand through Pre-Orders and Fleet Discussions 35:11 The Importance of Experienced Advisors, Risk-Taking, and Customer Feedback 44:16 Transition Riff.wav 44:22 Intentional Product Decisions 45:21 Designing for Driver and Road User Safety 46:46 Creating a Business Ecosystem for Success 47:15 Excitement for Tello's Future 47:21 Conclusion About Telo TELO makes intelligently designed, compact electric vehicle trucks for city living and weekend adventuring. Its signature TELO Truck, launched in 2023, features the standard bed capacity and crew cabin in a dramatically shortened 152-inch vehicle. With over 2,500 pre-orders secured since launch, TELO is representative of a different era of EV companies and is the most cost-effective company on the market. Co-founded by Jason Marks, Forrest North, and Yves Béhar with design input from fuseproject. Jason Marks Bio Jason Marks is co-founder and CEO at Telo. Jason led the Autonomous Vehicles and Driver Assistance Systems test programs at National Instruments (NI), where he was a Chief Business Development Manager. He developed the test systems for five major US automakers’ Autonomy and ADAS test systems for their 2024 model year vehicles. He’s an experienced Sales, Marketing, and R&D leader with patents in LiDAR. 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods. linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/ brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

Mike Granoff, managing partner at Maniv Mobility, discusses the future of mobility and transportation. Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/mikegranoff Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home https://www.linkedin.com/in/granoff/ https://www.maniv.com/ Takeaways Maniv Mobility invests in startups that focus on decarbonization and digitization of mobility and transportation. Evaluating founders is crucial, and the ability to adapt and find answers to challenges is a key criterion. Chinese EVs are taking over the global automotive industry, and China has the potential to dominate due to its expertise and government support. Investors should keep an eye on the raw materials for battery production as it may present future opportunities. Keywords mobility, transportation, decarbonization, digitization, startups, founders, Chinese EVs, automotive industry, raw materials, battery production Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview of Maniv Mobility 06:34 Defining Mobility and Access to Goods and Places 11:30 Investment Criteria and Evaluating Founders 31:55 Investing Decisions and Opportunities in the Raw Materials Market 44:31 Transition Riff.wav 44:37 Evolution in the Mobility Space 45:08 Building a Strong Founding Team and Culture 45:31 The Power of Being Nice but Firm 46:00 The Rise of Chinese Electric Vehicle Automakers 46:46 Conclusion Michael Granoff Bio Michael Granoff is founder and Managing Director of Maniv Mobility, a venture capital fund based in Tel Aviv that invests globally in startup companies at the intersection of transportation and technology. Founded in 2015, Maniv manages over $300 million, with an investor base that includes over 20 strategic investors including automakers, suppliers, and companies from related verticals. Maniv’s portfolio includes over 30 startup companies spanning nine countries. Among the corporate boards on which Mr. Granoff sits are Hailo, a Tel Aviv-based developer of silicon chips for energy-efficient edge computing on-board vehicles; Revel, a New York-based provider of shared electric mopeds and Tesla-based rideshare; Harbinger Motors, a US-based manufacturer of electric mid-duty vehicles; and the Dubai-based Fenix, which provides shared electric scooters throughout the GCC. He is also a founding board member of the Washington, DC-based policy and advocacy group Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE) and the Israel-based Israel 2048. His past board roles have included that of electric car network developer Better Place. He has been involved in three US Presidential campaigns and has received several awards including Brandeis University’s Asper Award for Global Entrepreneurship. Mr. Granoff holds a B.A. from Tufts University, an MBA and JD from Kellogg, Northwestern University, has completed over 25 marathons and is a father of four. About Maniv Maniv is a global early stage venture capital fund investing into technology startups digitizing and decarbonizing mobility and transportation. 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

Andy Marsh, is President and CEO of Plug Power. He joins to discuss the company's role as a pioneer in the energy transition and the future of hydrogen fuel cells. He highlights Plug Power's accomplishments, such as developing the first commercial market for fuel cells and building the largest PEM electrolyzer hydrogen generation facility in the world. Marsh emphasizes the importance of long-term thinking and steady progress in the energy transition, while acknowledging the challenges and external noise that come with being a pioneer. He also discusses the various applications of fuel cells, including in mobility, industrial sectors, and power generation. Topics Plug's approach and leadership in the hydrogen space The current state of hydrogen as a fuel source for transportation and beyond Why the energy transition needs to be approached on a scale of decades, not years or quarters The role of hydrogen in various transportation applications Andy's advice for first time leaders of cross-functional organizations Takeaways Plug Power is a pioneer in the energy transition, having developed the first commercial market for fuel cells and built the largest PEM electrolyzer hydrogen generation facility in the world. The energy transition is a long-term endeavor that requires steady progress and a focus on long-term goals. Hydrogen fuel cells have a wide range of applications, including in mobility, industrial sectors, and power generation. Listening to customers and understanding their needs is crucial in developing and implementing fuel cell solutions. The future of the energy transition will involve a mix of energy sources, including hydrogen, biofuels, solar, wind, and nuclear power. Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/andymarsh Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home Website: https://www.plugpower.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plug-power/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlugPowerInc Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlugPowerInc Andy Marsh Bio: Andy Marsh joined Plug as President and CEO in April 2008. Under his guidance, Plug has become the leading provider of turnkey hydrogen solutions for the global green hydrogen economy. Mr. Marsh has established Plug as the home to the end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem where every step of operations — from production, storage and handling, delivery, transportation and dispensing of hydrogen — is available to customers, allowing them to meet their business goals and decarbonize the economy. What was once a company behind fuel cell technology that powered material handling businesses, Mr. Marsh has positioned Plug as the green hydrogen leader powering e-mobility and stationary power applications, and providing first-class PEM electrolyzer technology. About Plug Power: Plug is building an end-to-end green hydrogen ecosystem, from production, storage, and delivery to energy generation, to help its customers meet their business goals and decarbonize the economy. In creating the first commercially viable market for hydrogen fuel cell technology, the company has deployed more than 69,000 fuel cell systems and over 250 fueling stations, more than anyone else in the world, and is the largest buyer of liquid hydrogen. Plug delivers its green hydrogen solutions directly to its customers and through joint venture partners into multiple environments, including material handling, e-mobility, power generation, and industrial applications. 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods

Isaac Holeman and Tarani Duncan join from Croft. Isaac is founder and chief product officer. Tarani is VP of product. Croft is an ambitious startup with a blueprint for an enduring, local and clean hydrogen economy. From rugged vehicles to groundbreaking at-home fueling products, we build enduring hydrogen equipment for the world’s toughest challenges. Topics in the conversation include: The need for better solutions to decarbonize transportation in rural environments Why existing EVs aren’t viable solutions in the country Why it’s important to make and sell an exceptional product, rather than starting with a green-focused value proposition for end users Why hydrogen storage is the most expensive and challenging part of the hydrogen value chain Croft’s novel approach to hydrogen generation and storage The decision to use a H2 powered V8 ICE rather than a fuel cell system The path ahead for Croft Links Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/croft Edison Manufacturing Exchange: https://brandonbartneck.substack.com/publish/home https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacholeman/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarani-duncan-8178056b/ https://croft.substack.com/ Isaac Holeman Bio As the Chief Product Officer at Croft, Isaac Holeman builds enduring hydrogen equipment for humanity's toughest jobs - from rural trades and agriculture to firefighting, emergency services and defense. Prior to co-founding Croft, Isaac’s design and research efforts focused on human-centered technical equipment for remote communities and infrastructure deserts around the world. As co-founder of a social enterprise called Medic, he co-designed the Community Health Toolkit, an open source digital health product that has over 130,000 end users in Africa and South Asia. Isaac has published several dozen scientific articles, received scholarly awards for his work in the fields of computer science and organizational theory, and previously was a faculty member in the Human Centered Design & Engineering Department at the University of Washington. He received a Ph.D. in Innovation Management from the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge, where he was a Gates Cambridge Scholar. Tarani Duncan Bio Tarani has over a decade of experience in product and operations management. Specializing in deep mobility technology, Tarani is passionate about solving real-world problems by pairing cutting-edge technology with a healthy dose of pragmatism. From perception for autonomy and teleoperation, route optimization for last-mile logistics, and alternative energy platforms for transportation, Tarani has led cross-functional teams to launch and manage customer-centric hardware and software products that millions of people rely on every day. At Croft, Tarani leads the development and deployment of Base Station, a plug-and-play refrigerator-sized appliance that makes homebrewed hydrogen using the same inputs as a washer and dryer. Croft: Croft is an ambitious startup with a blueprint for an enduring, local and clean hydrogen economy. From rugged vehicles to groundbreaking at-home fueling products, we build enduring hydrogen equipment for the world’s toughest challenges. Founded by serial entrepreneurs Roderick Blevins and Isaac Holeman, Croft’s early team hails from communities in the American heartland. We set out to make the transition to clean energy work for rural communities and we’re proud to be headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods.

Dr. Matt Markel, CEO of Spartan Radar, discusses the role of radar in improving road safety and the autonomous vehicle ecosystem. Takeaways Radar, when combined with cameras, offers an affordable alternative for achieving human-level autonomy in vehicles. Radar excels in measuring range and velocity accurately, while cameras have superior spatial resolution. Spartan Radar focuses on improving the spatial resolution of radar through software, providing a three to eight times increase in resolution. They aim to complement radar hardware manufacturers and provide software solutions to enhance radar performance. Spartan Radar's software, Clarify, improves the spatial resolution of radar sensors, enabling better object detection and classification. Clarify has been shown to detect objects that were previously missed by radar systems, including pedestrians next to vehicles. The software is crucial for ADAS and autonomous vehicles, helping estimate drivable areas in a scene. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 10:41 The Abstraction of Road Safety 17:00 Enhancing Radar Performance through Software 30:22 Applications in Different Levels of Autonomy 37:27 Addressing Safety Concerns in Commercial Vehicles 48:19 Redefining Radar's Perception 49:58 Closing Links: Show notes: http://brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/mattmarkel https://www.spartanradar.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-markel/ Bio Dr. Matt Markel has excelled in engineering, technology, and leadership in both the defense and commercial sectors. He created and led the radar division of Ghost Autonomy, an autonomous driving company using breakthroughs in collision avoidance technology to develop safe, attention-free self-driving for mass market consumer cars. Prior to Ghost, he led the radar team at Waymo, formerly the Google Self-Driving Car Project. Dr. Markel is widely recognized as an expert and leader in radar, especially automotive radar for autonomous systems, Technology Readiness Assessments and Technology Readiness Levels, and electronic warfare. He is the inventor on multiple patents and trade secrets from his time at Raytheon and Waymo, with patents pending from his work at Ghost Autonomy. He is a published author of Radar for Fully Autonomous Driving, and is now the CEO of Spartan Radar, a radar technology startup based in Southern California, where he has successfully lead Spartan’s focus from R&D to market-ready products. Company Description Spartan Radar is a next-generation mobility sensor provider with extensive expertise in radar digital signal processing and antenna design. The commercial vehicle division offers the product, “Hoplo,” a software-defined radar for blind spot monitoring. Applications may include trucking/delivery, construction, material handling, and mining. Spartan’s flagship software package called “Clarify” is designed to increase the performance of existing automotive radar systems in a computationally efficient manner. Keywords: Spartan Radar, radar, autonomy, road safety, passenger cars, commercial vehicles, spatial resolution, radar software, Spartan Radar, Clarify, radar software, spatial resolution, object detection, object classification, radar-based perception, advanced driver assistance systems, ADAS, autonomous vehicles, drivable areas, commercial vehicles, aftermarket installation, material handling 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. Edison Manufacturing and Engineering: Edison is your low volume contract manufacturing partner, focused on assembly of complex mobility and energy products that don’t neatly fit within traditional high-volume production methods. linkedin.com/in/brandonbartneck/ brandonbartneck.com/futureofmobility/

This is a special episode, welcoming Paul Comfort (3x Future of Mobility podcast guest) to share an episode of his Transit Unplugged podcast, featuring a conversation with Adam Hill. This podcast swap format provides the opportunity to introduce an adjacent show that Future of Mobility listeners might like. The original show notes are below: https://transitunplugged.com/transit-unplugged-podcast/future-of-mobility-avs/ In this episode of Transit Unplugged, host Paul Comfort interviews Adam Hill, Editor in Chief of ITS International Magazine. They discuss the challenges and prospects of high-speed rail in England and the US, including the various political and logistical issues. Adam explains London’s new Ultra Low Emission Zone, designed to encourage public transit use and discusses the struggles with its introduction. They explore how public transit can be made popular, touching on how to capture public interest and cater to convenience for the users. Paul and Adam wrap up the episode discussing the impacts of congestion charging and low emissions zones in encouraging public transit use. In Mike’s Minute, Mike Bismeyer reports from the CUTA Meeting in Edmonton about the Youth Leadership Summit and his work mentoring future transit leaders. Coming up next week we have Scott Smith, former CEO of Valley Metro reflecting on transit and leadership. If you have a question or comment, email [email protected]. Episode flow: Introduction and Introducing Adam Hill Adam Hill’s Background and Role at ITS International Magazine Challenges and Developments in High Speed Rail Exploring the Impact of ULEZ in London Political Implications of ULEZ and Public Transit Mike’s Minute with Mike Bismeyer Coming up next week on the show