This YouTube episode (Service Drive Revolution) features Chris Collins and a guest discussing Toyota's $400 million investment in Pony.AI (valuing it at $3 billion) and pilot tests of robotaxis in Beijing and Shanghai. The conversation shifts to speculative remarks about the coronavirus origins, then returns to predictions that limited driverless taxi deployments will appear in major cities within ~5 years and be widespread by 2030, with potential disruption to ride-hailing companies like Uber and changes to travel/lifestyle habits.
Chapters
Toyota steers 400 million to self driving startup Pony.AI. pony AI, which is jointly based in Silicon Valley and China, has been testing robot taxis since 2018. The two companies announced a pilot program to test self driving cars on public roads in two Chinese cities, Beijing and Shanghai. The Japanese auto giant plans to invest 400 million in Pony, valuing the startup at $3 billion.
Do you think that Toyota, Pony and the CIA were actually involved in the delivery of the coronavirus?
I don't think that Toyota was hip to the fact that getting driverless vehicles.
On the road faster could be a ploy to make this happen. It's safer.
It is.
Yeah. Well, to not have a driver or a woman driver behind the wheel is definitely safer. Studies have definitely proven that.
Are you buying into the coronavirus?
What would you say?
Like creating a major recession and stopping the economy?
Yeah.
Yeah. And then the conspiracy theory of Trump releasing it.
Do you really still believe there were a lot of comments about your theory on that?
I do believe that Trump had a.
Play in that we're a show for service drives.
Yes.
And we got a lot of people that have nothing to do with service drives because of the headline of that video.
That's perfect. Bring it on.
What was the headline like the. Did Trump create the coronavirus or something like that. And your theory was that it was a CIA?
Yep. Trump and the CIA made it happen.
So now I guess the. The part of China that it happened is where China has their facility that they test chemical warfare.
Okay.
And so there was a theory that that escaped from there and that's what created it. But I read an article where somebody formerly from the CIA or intelligence said that the characteristics of the virus aren't that of something that is man made.
Interesting. Time will tell. Then you have companies like this trying to push their driverless taxi cab company. Go for it. That's an interesting story though. 400 million. I know Ford has invested a ton of money, like a billion dollars in creating a new company for ride sharing and all that. So this is interesting to see Toyota investing 400 million into a startup for self driving vehicles. We know what's coming. There's a lot of stuff that's going to shake our industry down. You know, there's.
How. How soon do you think that the self driving thing will happen?
Oh, well, I'm going to say this.
Smells like apple, this moonshine.
It actually is like apple cider. Yeah, it tastes like apple cider.
Wow. Like apple pie.
There you go. Yeah. Really?
So your customer made that in his Bathtub.
I don't know where he made it. Would you like me to go?
Don't we want to know where he made it before we drink it?
Nothing floating in it. It's clear.
There was cinnamon floating in it.
Well, but there's. The liquid is clear.
Wow.
The things I do for this show. Amazing.
I know, but I'm just.
You're going back to this. I think drive driverless cars are definitely going to be here.
For what time frame? Come on, you gotta predict 2030. 2030?
Yep.
How many years is that for now?
10, nine years from now?
Is it 2021?
Pretty close.
No, it's 2020.
Well, it depends. Are you doing model years based off.
I know because I still almost write 2019 on everything.
Yes. Ten years from now, they'll be here. I think we'll have limited release in cities like LA and stuff in the next five years. And then definitely in 10 years, it's going to happen.
You know who it affects the most is Uber, because once you have driverless cars, you don't really need Uber in their network of drivers. Right.
But then that means Uber has to invest in the asset, which they don't have to invest in right now because the drivers are investing in it. So they get all the revenue then if they own the asset.
I know if I had a driverless car, I wouldn't fly. I would just drive everywhere. I let the car drive me and I'd work or sleep or do whatever.
So our trip to Kansas City, you would just sleep in a car for two. How long would it take to drive to Kansas City?
Three days, 20 hours? Yeah.
You would just sleep in a car?
Yeah.
You play video games?
Yeah, absolutely. Work, work, you know, rest, everything.
Cars have WI fi now. You could just.
You totally connect.
You can watch Netflix and chill.
Yes, yeah, absolutely. There's a lot of stuff that you.
Can do there that's fun. Thank you so much for watching this clip of Service Drive Revolution. Now you can catch the full episode on YouTube, iTunes or Spotify or wherever you consume your podcast. If you have any questions, go ahead and post them in the comments below. Make sure you subscribe and hit the bell icon so you're notified when we post new episodes. I'm Chris Collins and you can find me on Facebook and Instagram at Chris Bulldog Collins, and I'll see you again on the next episode.
