In a collaboration between Uber and Waymo, residents of Phoenix now have the option to have their Uber Eats orders delivered by fully autonomous Waymo vehicles. This expansion of Waymo's autonomous driving technology aims to provide safe and convenient delivery services to customers and local businesses across the Metro Phoenix area, covering over 225 square miles. Initially, the service will be available for select merchants in Chandler, Tempe, and Mesa.
To utilize this service, Uber Eats users in Phoenix will receive a notification during checkout informing them that their order may be delivered by an autonomous vehicle. They will have the option to opt-out if they prefer human courier delivery. Once an order is confirmed for autonomous delivery, customers will receive instructions to open the vehicle's trunk and collect their items upon its arrival. This initiative builds upon Waymo and Uber's existing partnership, which has facilitated thousands of autonomous rides through the Waymo Driver in Phoenix.
Nonetheless, using a two-ton, crash-tested vehicle such as the Jaguar i-Pace for delivering a small bag of food doesn't really make sense. Uber Eats also collaborates with Serve Robotics for smaller sidewalk bots, but they are limited to walking speeds and short distances, and Nuro, who develops larger delivery vehicles, with heated or cooled food compartments.
Comments