For autonomous vehicles (AVs) and human drivers alike, work zones present complex driving environments. Shifting lane markings, outdated map data, and the presence of human workers can make operating in these dynamic conditions especially challenging. Tune in for a conversation exploring how the AV industry is addressing these challenges and what opportunities lie ahead.

With AVs gaining visibility across the country, many people are asking how their safety compares to that of human drivers. But is a human the right benchmark for safe driving? Tune in for a conversation to explore this topic. Panelists include Michelle Fowler of TRC, Kristofer Kusano of Waymo, and Michael Wagner of Edge Case.

In October 2025, the Autonomous Vehicle Safety Consortium (AVSC) published a best practice on assessing AV safety case claims supported by evidence. In this episode of the PAVEcast, we sat down with AVSC Executive Director Darcyne Foldenauer to learn more. Darcyne explains the fundamentals of safety cases, the importance of clearly linking evidence to claims, and the need for greater consistency in how safety is evaluated and communicated.

Learn more about AVSC: https://avsc.sae-itc.com/

Read the best practice: https://avsc.sae-itc.com/publication/avsc-d-04-2025

Accessibility is often cited as a key benefit of automated vehicles and emerging mobility technologies, but designing vehicles for wheelchair users is complex. The SAE CivicProgress Challenge was created to help address this gap by empowering college students to develop innovative, real-world solutions for accessible mobility. Established in collaboration with General Motors, the multi-year program challenges students to tackle accessibility barriers while gaining hands-on engineering and design experience.

Join us for a conversation exploring current accessibility challenges and the impact of the CivicProgress Challenge on the future of equitable mobility. Guests include Alicia Bott and David Sander of SAE, Michele Lee of Serve Robotics, and Jessica Swan of GM.

With a new administration and Congress, 2025 was widely viewed as a potential turning point for autonomous vehicles. One year later, did the industry’s expectations match reality? Join us for a timely follow-up conversation examining how political and legislative developments have shaped the AV policy landscape.

Hilary Cain of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation and Finch Fulton of K&L Gates reflect on the past year’s progress and discuss how evolving federal priorities and regulatory signals are influencing AV development and deployment.

2025 was a pivotal year for the autonomous trucking space, as industry leaders moved beyond pilots and industrial use cases toward true long-haul deployment. However, scaling safely and sustainably remains a complex challenge. Tune in for a fireside chat with Andreas Wendel, CTO of Kodiak AI, to explore what it takes to scale driverless operations.

In this conversation, Andreas will share insights into Kodiak’s recent progress and discuss the technical and operational milestones required to scale autonomous freight. The discussion will also touch on the role of safety cases, partnerships, and public trust in supporting long-term success.

In this episode of the PAVEcast, we sit down with Becca Lehner and Alex Rudin of MITRE to spotlight their recently published research on scaling AV operations centers. Tune in to learn more about MITRE’s Automated Vehicle Research Collaborative (AVRC), key barriers to scaling AV operations centers, what enables successful growth, and how that success can help build public trust in AV technology.

Learn More | Read the Report

In this episode of the PAVEcast, we sit down with Aaron Botwick, Head of Safety at AeroVect. Tune in for a discussion on the unique challenges and opportunities of automating airport logistics, the growing importance of safety cases, and their critical role in building public trust and regulatory compliance for autonomous vehicles.

Learn more about AeroVect at https://www.aerovect.com/