--- title: "U.S. Grocer Kroger Has Begun Making Autonomous Deliveries" description: "Thanks to its partnership with startup Nuro, supermarket chain Kroger is starting to make deliveries via its autonomous bots without any drivers." date: "2018-12-18" modified: "2018-12-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/kroger-nuro-grocery-chain-autonomous-delivery-r1" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" tags: - "autonomous car" - "autonomous delivery" - "nuro" --- # U.S. Grocer Kroger Has Begun Making Autonomous Deliveries ![Thanks to its partnership with startup Nuro, supermarket chain Kroger is starting to make deliveries via its autonomous bots without any drivers.]() *\Image: Kroger\* ## Autonomous Deliveries Grocery store giant Kroger [just announced]() that its autonomous vehicle delivery service is officially going driverless, thanks to a partnership with self-driving car startup Nuro. Earlier this year, the supermarket chain [announced]() it will work with Nuro to launch a driverless delivery service in Scottsdale, Arizona. The program used a fleet of Toyota Priuses, equipped with sensors and AI equipment, and staffed by safety drivers. Now Nuro is confident enough to fulfill orders without the human driver. According to a [blog post](), the company has been working on perfecting the design of an "unmanned on-road vehicle" called the R1. But Nuro hasn't removed humans from the equation completely. Nuro employees are still able to take over control over its fleet of R1s remotely. ## "Toaster on Wheels" The R1 features "world-class self driving software and sensing hardware," and takes up far less room on the road than a traditional passenger car. It's built from the ground up to haul groceries, so it's easy to load and unload. Customers will still have to step out to the side of the road to retrieve their groceries. Deliveries via the service will cost $5.95 extra. ## Battle of the Bots The collaboration between Kroger and Nuro isn't the only autonomous delivery service in the works. Food delivery startup Postmates just [revealed]() its own autonomous vehicle service — though it will share the sidewalk with pedestrians rather than driving on the road. But will the roads be safe with Nuro's bots zipping by loaded with groceries? As long as they [don't catch fire](), we'll hopefully be fine. **READ MORE:** [US grocery giant Kroger has started making autonomous deliveries]() \[*MIT Technology Review*\] ***More on delivery robots: [A Delivery Robot Burst Into Flames in California]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()