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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Ming Maa, Co-Founder and CEO of Moove AV, a global fleet provider for autonomous vehicles, and Waymo’s current fleet partner in Phoenix, Miami and London.

We discussed Ming’s time at Grab and the key rideshare lessons that ultimately inspired the creation of Moove AV. Ming explains how rideshare fleet models differ inside and outside the U.S., and what separates Moove’s traditional rideshare business (Moove.io) from Moove’s AV-focused operations.

We also dive into what it actually means to be an AV fleet partner. Ming shares why Waymo chose Moove AV, the challenges behind operating autonomous fleets, and how the company works with partners across different markets. We also talk about how Moove decides where to place its fleet depots, maintenance, and charging infrastructure, along with lessons learned from managing fleets globally.

Later in the episode, Ming breaks down the operational differences between managing autonomous fleets and human-driven fleets, including the capabilities Moove AV had to build specifically for AVs. We also explore which parts of depot operations could eventually be automated, whether there are redundancies in AV fleet operations that could be trimmed to reduce costs, and why fleet management itself could become one of the biggest competitive advantages in the AV industry.

Chapters

* (00:00) Introduction to Ming Maa

* (02:25) Rideshare lessons from Ming’s time at Grab, and the inspiration behind Moove AV’s creation

* (06:00) Rideshare fleet models inside/outside the U.S.

* (08:25) The differences between Moove.io and Moove AV

* (09:50) Why did Waymo choose Moove AV as a fleet partner?

* (12:43) The challenges of being an AV fleet partner

* (13:47) How does Moove AV work with partners in their various markets?

* (15:01) How Moove AV picks their sites for fleet maintenance/charging infrastructure

* (17:30) AV fleet management lessons from different markets

* (21:50) How Moove AV’s partnership impacts Waymo’s operational metrics

* (23:25) What capabilities did Moove AV develop for AV fleets that are different from human-driven fleets?

* (25:01) What processes in AV depot operations could be automated?

* (26:07) Are there redundancies in AV fleet operations that could be trimmed to cut costs/save time?

* (30:20) Does fleet management become the next moat in the AV space?

* (33:17) Conclusions and final thoughts

Notes/Links:

* You can find Ming Maa on Linkedin.

* Moove’s website (link).

* The TDD newsletter edition featuring RoboDock, mentioned at the 24:59 timestamp (link).

-Harry

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