Amazon Test Autopilot Delivery Vehicle

[Erica Zhu Feilong Jiangli]

Amazon, an American retail giant, said on Jan. 23 that it had deployed six self-driving, pure electric vehicles to deliver goods to communities near Washington's Snohomish County. The car is the same size as a small cooler and is decorated with a Prime logo.

The six round of autopilot will be driven along the delivery route at walking speed, initially accompanied by an employee. Amazon said the car was developed by its Seattle research and development laboratory to ensure safe driving around pedestrians, pets and other objects.

Amazon, like several other big retailers, has begun to use driverless cars to transport groceries or other goods with the launch of the Automated Delivery Vehicle Amazon Scout. WAL-MART (Walmart) and partners Udelv, Ford and Waymo participated in several pilot projects to complete online grocery orders using autopilot cars. In December 2018, Kroger launched its first self-driving express service for the public. Last week, American snack giant Ahold Delhaize partnered with San Francisco-based Robomart to test-run driverless cars using its Stop & Shop chain.