Photo: Kroger
After safely completing thousands of deliveries in Scottsdale, Arizona, Nuro and Kroger are rolling out a fleet of self-driving delivery vehicles to serve customers in Houston, Texas. But there’s one big difference — in Arizona, Nuro used modified versions of electric cars that are currently on the market. Texas residents will enjoy service from the Nuro R1, a driverless, robotic car.
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Meet the Nuro
While Nuro’s previous delivery vehicle had a human backup driver inside, the R1 takes a different approach. With no seats or spaces for a human driver, the R1 is a specialized automated delivery vehicle. Although for safety reasons, a human driver tails the R1 while it makes its rounds.
Nuro R1 delivery vehicles are lightweight and tiny — about half the width of a compact sedan, and shorter, too. It has a top speed of 25 MPH, and in the event of a crash, the R1 will collapse. After all, it’s transporting cans of soup and loaves of bread, not a human family. They’re efficient, too — these electric vehicles are capable of making their daily rounds with the energy from one charge.
The R1 has two main compartments, each capable of holding six grocery bags. And you don’t have to worry about someone stealing your goods in transit — just use the Nuro app or enter your password on the vehicle’s built-in touchscreen to access the compartment holding your groceries.
A brave new world
Two Houston Kroger locations are participating in the driverless delivery program. Residents in the 77401, 77096, 77005 and 77025 ZIP codes can enjoy the experience of getting their groceries delivered by the Nuro R1.
Residents can order their groceries via the Nuro app. The driverless delivery service only costs adds $5.95 to your order, and there’s no minimum order. That’s a pretty low price to pay to have your groceries delivered by a cute, friendly robot car.
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Source: Digital Trends, Fox
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