Has FedEx found a friend for Roxo, its same-day delivery bot?
On June 15, the delivery services giant announced it had signed a multiyear, multiphase agreement with Nuro Inc. — the California-based autonomous vehicle company — to test its autonomous delivery vehicle.
The collaboration began in April 2021, with a pilot program across the Houston area. FedEx will use the partnership to explore potential uses for on-road autonomous vehicle logistics, including multi-stop and appointment-based deliveries.
“FedEx was built on innovation, and it continues to be an integral part of our culture and business strategy,” said Rebecca Yeung, FedEx’s VP of advanced technology and innovation, in a release. “We are excited to collaborate with an industry leader like Nuro as we continue to explore the use of autonomous technologies within our operations.”
The move expands FedEx's technological arsenal — in recent years it's partnered with companies like Microsoft and Dell — and comes as e-commerce continues to bustle, increasing the need for autonomous options throughout the supply chain. In the first three months of 2021, global online sales tallied $876 billion, according to the Adobe Digital Economy Index, and could hit $4.2 trillion for the year.
For Nuro — founded by a pair of former Google engineers in 2016 — the announcement is the latest win in a string of victories, as the company is no stranger to working with major brands.
In November 2020, the Silicon Valley Business Journal, MBJ’s sister publication, reported that Nuro had scored $500 million in new funding for its efforts to create driverless delivery capabilities. Then, in March, it kicked off a partnership with Chipotle Mexican Grill, followed by one with Domino’s in April.
