Self-driving vehicles will make deliveries for this retailer in Miami-Dade
America’s largest traditional retailer has signed on to Ford and tech firm Argo AI’s ongoing self-driving car test program in MiamiDade County.
The three companies were set to announce Wednesday that customers in select parts of MiamiDade will see deliveries being performed by the vehicles, which for now will still feature safety drivers behind the wheel but will be operating autonomously. Customers will be notified that a car with their goods is approaching, along with instructions on how to access them, and will be asked to meet the vehicle at the curb.
“As consumer expectations continue to shift to next-day or same-day delivery — especially in the urban core where there is a higher concentration of deliveries — this collaboration will drive key learnings in how autonomous technology can enhance customer experiences, while also optimizing logistics and operations,” the companies said in a statement.
Added Tom Ward, senior vice president of last-mile delivery for Walmart U.S., “This collaboration will further our mission to get products to the homes of our customers with unparalleled speed and ease, and in turn, will continue to pave the way for autonomous delivery.”
Ford and Argo AI have been testing self-driving vehicles in Miami-Dade since 2018. In October 2020, Ford and Argo AI announced they were expanding their test presence here. And in July, Ford, Argo AI and Lyft announced they would begin testing self-driving taxis in the county.
It was not immediately clear how many modified SUV test vehicles Ford and Argo AI operate in MiamiDade. The companies have said they plan to launch at least 1,000 self-driving vehicles on Lyft’s ridehailing network in multiple cities during the next five years.
So far, the tests have seen no reported serious accidents.
Miami-Dade will join Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C., in the initial Walmart program rollout.
“Our focus on the testing and development of selfdriving technology that operates in urban areas where customer demand is high really comes to life with this collaboration,” said Bryan Salesky, founder and CEO of Argo AI. “Working together with Walmart and Ford across three markets, we’re showing the potential for autonomous vehicle delivery services at scale.”