FEDEX AND NURO TEAM UP TO ADVANCE LAST-MILE LOGISTICS WITH AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES
>> FedEx and Nuro are working together to test autonomous, multi-stop and appointment-based delivery operations in Houston, TX
MEMPHIS, TN. – FedEx Corp. and Nuro announce a multi-year, multi-phase agreement to test Nuro’s next-generation autonomous delivery vehicle within FedEx operations. The collaboration between FedEx and Nuro launched in April with a pilot program across the Houston area. This pilot marks Nuro’s expansion into parcel logistics and allows FedEx the opportunity to explore various use cases for on-road autonomous vehicle logistics, including multi-stop and appointment-based deliveries. The Nuro pilot is the latest addition to the FedEx portfolio of autonomous same-day and specialty delivery devices.
The exponential growth of e-commerce has accelerated the demand for reliable, autonomous solutions throughout all stages of the supply chain. FedEx believes that continued innovation and automation will improve safety, efficiency, and productivity for the company’s more than 570,000 team members as they continue to move the world forward.
“FedEx was built on innovation, and it continues to be an integral part of our culture and business strategy,” said Rebecca Yeung, vice president, advanced technology and innovation, FedEx Corporation. “We are excited to collaborate with an industry leader like Nuro as we continue to explore the use of autonomous technologies within our operations.”
Nuro has been developing and testing its self-driving technology for nearly five years, including on-road deployment in multiple cities and industry-first regulatory approvals. The company has established partnerships with leaders in grocery, restaurant, and pharmacy verticals. This collaboration is a major step for Nuro in entering parcel logistics.
“Working with FedEx—the global leader in logistics—is an incredible opportunity to rethink every aspect of local delivery. This multi-year commitment will allow us to truly collaborate and bring Nuro’s powerful technology to more people in new ways, and eventually reach large-scale deployment,” said Cosimo Leipold, Nuro’s head of partnerships. “Our collaboration will enable innovative, industry-first product offerings that will better everyday life and help make communities safer and greener.”
DOMINO'S AND NURO LAUNCH AUTONOMOUS PIZZA DELIVERY WITH ON-ROAD ROBO
>> Select Houston customers can have Domino's delivered via R2, Nuro's custom, autonomous vehicle, starting this week
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Domino's, the largest pizza company in the world based on global retail sales, and Nuro, the leading self-driving delivery company, are launching autonomous pizza delivery in Houston. Beginning this week, select customers who place a prepaid order on dominos.com on certain days and times from Domino's in Woodland Heights, located at 3209 Houston Ave., can choose to have their pizza delivered by Nuro's R2 robot. Nuro's R2 is the first completely autonomous, occupantless on-road delivery vehicle with a regulatory approval by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
This collaboration between Domino's and Nuro will introduce an entirely new delivery experience to pizza lovers. Here's how it works: select customers who place a prepaid website order from the participating Domino's store can opt to have their order delivered by R2. Customers who are selected will receive text alerts, which will update them on R2's location and provide them with a unique PIN to retrieve their order. Customers may also track the vehicle via GPS on their order confirmation page. Once R2 arrives, customers will be prompted to enter their PIN on the bot's touchscreen. R2's doors will then gently open upward, revealing the customer's hot Domino's order.
"We're excited to continue innovating the delivery experience for Domino's customers by testing autonomous delivery with Nuro in Houston," said Dennis Maloney, Domino's senior vice president and chief innovation officer. "There is still so much for our brand to learn about the autonomous delivery space. This program will allow us to better understand how customers respond to the deliveries, how they interact with the robot and how it affects store operations. The growing demand for great-tasting pizza creates the need for more deliveries, and we look forward to seeing how autonomous delivery can work along with Domino's existing delivery experts to better support the customers' needs."
"Nuro's mission is to better everyday life through robotics. Now, for the first time, we're launching real world, autonomous deliveries with R2 and Domino's," said Dave Ferguson, Nuro co-founder and president. "We're excited to introduce our autonomous delivery bots to a select set of Domino's customers in Houston. We can't wait to see what they think."
About Nuro
Nuro exists to better everyday life through robotics. The company's custom autonomous vehicles are designed to bring the things you need, from produce to prescriptions, right to your home. Nuro's autonomous delivery can give you valuable time back and more freedom to do what you love. This convenient, eco-friendly, safe alternative to driving can make streets safer and cities more livable. Nuro has brought autonomous delivery to local communities in Texas, Arizona, and California—for less driving and more thriving.
