Kroger and Nuro have announced the launch of the first-ever unmanned delivery service for the general public. This service has been in test mode in Scottsdale, Arizona since August using an autonomous Prius fleet accompanied by vehicle operators. And these autonomous vehicles completed nearly one thousand deliveries to the general public.
“Nuro envisions a world without errands, where everything is on-demand and can be delivered affordably. Operating a delivery service using our custom unmanned vehicles is an important first step toward that goal,” said Nuro President and co-founder Dave Ferguson.
This fleet is expanding to include Nuro’s custom unmanned vehicle, which is called the R1. The R1 is able to transport goods across public roads without a driver and passengers. The R1 has been developed since 2016.
“Kroger customers are looking for new, convenient ways to feed their families and purchase the products they need quickly through services like pickup and delivery,” added Kroger’s chief digital officer Yael Cosset. “Our autonomous delivery pilot with Nuro over the past few months continues to prove the benefit of the flexible and reliable technology. Through this exciting and innovative partnership, we are delivering a great customer experience and advancing Kroger’s commitment to redefine the grocery experience by creating an ecosystem that offers our customers anything, anytime, and anywhere.”
The delivery service is available at Fry’s Food Stores located at 7770 East McDowell Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257. And customers can make delivery orders immediately through fryfoods.com or through the Fry’s Food Stores mobile app.
And the grocery orders can be scheduled for same-day or next-day delivery by a Nuro R1 vehicle as well as a self-driving Prius vehicle. The price is a flat $5.95 fee with no minimum order.
