# HIBT Lab! Nuro: Dave Ferguson

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2023-01-19
- Length: 39m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson

## Summary

Dave Ferguson, co-founder of Nuro, explains how he and co-founder Jia Zhu pivoted from Google's self-driving car project to build autonomous vehicles designed exclusively for goods delivery. Ferguson details the company's evolution from a garage startup to scaling production with partner BYD, highlighting the design of the R1 and R2 vehicles and the strategic decision to remove passenger constraints to improve safety and efficiency. The episode covers Nuro's pilot partnerships with Kroger and Domino's Pizza, the regulatory exemptions required for their zero-occupant vehicles, and the operational challenges of scaling manufacturing and autonomy technology in a challenging funding environment.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=0) Introduction: Dave Ferguson and Nuro's Vision
- [1:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=94) Ferguson's Robotics Background at CMU and Intel
- [8:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=522) Google Self-Driving Car Project and Meeting Co-founder Jia Zhu
- [11:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=676) Founding Nuro and the Decision to Focus on Goods Delivery
- [15:54](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=954) Early Prototyping: The R1 Vehicle and Garage Days
- [19:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=1159) Regulatory Exemptions and the R2 Vehicle Design
- [21:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=1288) Pilot Partnerships with Kroger and Domino's Pizza
- [29:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=1779) Scaling Manufacturing with BYD and In-House Assembly
- [34:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-01-19-hibt-lab-nuro-dave-ferguson#t=2059) Layoffs, Funding Challenges, and Future Outlook

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Nuro (company)
- Dave Ferguson (other)
- Jia Zhu (other)
- Google (company)
- Waymo (company)
- Kroger (company)
- Domino's Pizza (company)
- Uber Eats (company)
- R1 (product)
- R2 (product)
- Intel (company)
- Herb (product)
- Carnegie Mellon (company)
- BYD (company)
- Tesla (company)
- Cruise (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Episode 158: Autonomous robot deliveries - Ahti Heinla](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-05-29-episode-158-autonomous-robot-deliveries-ahti-heinla) (Robot Talk)
- [52: Maximize the Sonic Boom](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-05-21-52-maximize-the-sonic-boom) (Embedded.fm)
- [Nuro navigates to fully autonomous driving](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2024-11-27-nuro-navigates-to-fully-autonomous-driving) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [6 River Systems talks Shopify acquisition; Gatik on autonomous vehicle development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-24-6-river-systems-talks-shopify-acquisition-gatik-on-autonomous-vehicle-developmen) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Garrett McCurrach and Canon Reeves (Co-Founders, Pipedream Labs)](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/just-gonna-send-it/2025-12-17-garrett-mccurrach-and-canon-reeves-co-founders-pipedream-labs) (Just Gonna Send It)

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