Texas retail giant H-E-B has been pounding the tech drum at a faster tempo in recent months. And now it's poised to start testing self-driving vehicles to deliver groceries to customers who sign up in a small area near its San Antonio headquarters.
When the pilot project starts, it will only involve one autonomous van, which will deliver to folks near its Olmos Park H-E-B north of downtown San Antonio. As is the case with virtually all autonomous vehicle pilot programs, the vehicle will have a driver in it to take over or respond to any issues.
The move is part of a partnership with California-based driverless vehicle company Udelv, which has climate-controlled compartments to bring fresh and frozen goods to your home.
At a glance, you might think the move foreshadows the company, which is the largest private employer in Texas, shifting away from humans and toward robots.
But the company appears to be growing on all fronts, and it is also investing in tech education through partnerships and philanthropy.
“Our success starts with our people, who provide exceptional hospitality and drive us to open more engaging stores that offer a world-class shopping experience,” H-E-B President Craig Boyan said in a news release. “We’re committed to winning through people and hiring more people, and we’re adding necessary skills to become both a better tech company and even stronger brick-and-mortar retailer.”
H-E-B says that if the pilot is successful, it will roll out driveless delivery in phases as the systems learn the best routes. Eventually, the system could become fully autonomous.
H-E-B last month opened a sprawling new office in East Austin dedicated to the company's digital teams, as well as Favor, the Austin-based on-demand delivery company H-E-B acquired in February 2018.
Of course, that begs the question. When will Austin get autonomous grocery delivery.
So far, H-E-B hasn't addressed that, beyond noting the rollout will continue if the pilot program works out.
H-E-B initially launched its curbside pickup in Houston in 2015, before bringing it to other major markets, including Austin.
But, given Austin's strong propensity to use new tech, it would seem likely that the company would have an eye on the 512 as an early market launch.
After all, Austin is among a handful of cities that have been heavily mapped by Google, Waymo and other companies testing out self-driving technologies.
Among Austin's autonomous vehicle milestones are:
