Laser imaging sensor technology, known as lidar, has become one of the technologies most important technological enablers of autonomous drive. In order to better understand where lidar comes from and where it is going, the gang sits down with the man who invented the technology and the team that helps him run the biggest name in the lidar business. Velodyne founder and CEO David Hall invented lidar, pivoting his company from the (Alex Roy-approved) subwoofer business into the cutting edge of laser imaging. Joined by his wife, Velodyne President Marta Thoma Hall, as well as the company's Chief Technology Officer Anand Gopalan, Hall takes The Autonocast inside the technology, company and markets he helped create. This is part two of an hour-long conversation; part one can be found in Autonocast episode #45.

When you think about autonomous drive technology you probably don't think of Florida, but one state Senator is trying to change that. Senator Jeff Brandes has been working to make Florida a hub of autonomous drive testing and deployment ever since joining the state's legislature in 2011. With a background in military logistics and the shipping business Brandes brings a unique perspective to the challenges and opportunities presented by the new world of autonomous mobility policy and regulation.

The gang gets together just before the start of CES to look at some of the big news that's breaking ahead of the most important (non-car-show) car show of the year. The biggest early-breaking CES news is Aurora Innovations exiting stealth mode, revealing their partnerships with Volkswagen and Hyundai, and generally transforming the autonomous drive technology landscape. Johan Jungwirth, the Chief Digital Officer of the Volkswagen Group, joins the conversation to explain why VW joined forces with Aurora and where he sees the partnership heading.

Autonocast host and famed Cannonball Runner Alex Roy has set another cross-country record for electric cars, this time in a brand-new Tesla Model 3. This week he tells Kirsten and Ed what he loved and hated about the Model 3, how he survived the midwest in midwinter with the heater on low, and why Model 3 owners may not use Autopilot as much as Model S and X owners.

For all the focus on consumer markets for new mobility technologies, commercial vehicles will be some of the first to adopt autonomous and electric drive technologies. One firm attempting to electrify "last mile" delivery vehicles is Chanje, a Los Angeles-based electric vehicle and energy solutions company. Alex, Kirsten and guest host Josh Hartung of PolySync sit down with Chanje COO Joerg Sommer to find out how and why he sees delivery fleets moving into the future.

One of the dynamics that makes the world of new mobility technology so fascinating is the contrast between the giant, decades-old automakers and the much smaller high-tech startups that seek to partner or compete with them. Perhaps the most important question this dynamic raises is: how can the giant industrial firms respond to new technological threats and develop new businesses while maintaining their profit machines? Peter Schwarzenbauer, board member of BMW Group, joins us this week to answer this and other questions from the strategic perspective of a major automaker.