Uber now controls autonomous mobile deliveries thanks to a long-term agreement.
Uber and the autonomous delivery firm Nuro have launched a new 10-year collaboration to utilize Nuro’s electric, autonomous delivery trucks to transport meals in the US. This agreement makes autonomous delivery technology available to Uber Eats merchants and restaurants of all sizes as a consequence of the increased potential and demand for last-mile autonomous delivery of products and services.
Uber is clearly moving aggressively to lock up suppliers of autonomous delivery services, providing Uber Eats an advantage just as adoption is about to take off.
Other service providers of autonomous vehicles have also partnered with Uber Eats. That cooperation is about to expand, according to a person familiar with Serve Robotics’ internal operations. Serve Robotics is an autonomous sidewalk delivery service. According to the source, Serve has made hundreds of deliveries to Uber Eats customers, and both businesses are attempting to dramatically grow their cooperation.
In a similar vein, Uber has strengthened its alliance with Motional, a third-party delivery platform, in order to introduce autonomous delivery in Santa Monica, California. Deliveries will be made as part of that agreement using Motional’s autonomously capable IONIQ 5 vehicles.
These transactions show how Uber’s business strategy has changed after it spun off its internal autonomous vehicle development a year ago. The market for last-mile autonomous delivery of meals, groceries, and other commodities is poised for growth in the wake of the epidemic. The Nuro transaction shows Uber’s growing dedication to not just competing in that market, but also monopolizing it.
According to Noah Zych, global head of autonomous mobility and delivery at Uber, “Nuro and Uber share a vision in which technology can make life a little bit simpler.” “Nuro’s unique autonomous cars are a fantastic fit for the Uber platform, and this partnership will deliver a compelling combination of innovation combined with the convenience, affordability, and dependability that users and merchants have come to expect.”
Nuro became the first autonomous car firm to be granted a deployment permit by the California DMV in late 2020. Since then, the organization has quickly transitioned from development to implementation, especially in the southwest. A world-class closed-course test track and an end-of-line production facility are Nuro’s two newest facilities, which the company announced a $40 million investment in September. The business has alliances with some of the biggest companies in the nation, such as Kroger and CVS, and only last year it revealed an alliance with 7-Eleven.
The collaboration between Uber and Nuro is an extension of the former’s delivery and autonomous mobility initiatives. Mountain View and Houston will host the initial rollouts.
