FedEx Taps Nuro for Autonomous Delivery Vehicles

Future FedEx deliveries could come in an autonomous vehicle. The parcel company is teaming up with self-driving vehicle manufacturer Nuro for a large-scale pilot program, testing autonomous deliveries in several regions across the United States.

While it doesn’t produce consumer vehicles, Nuro is one of the top self-driving vehicle manufacturers for businesses. It’s partnered with several companies, including Domino’s and Kroger. But Nuro’s partnership with FedEx marks a serious change for the company that could be incredibly lucrative—after all, FedEx has a fleet of over 70k vehicles that could be replaced by self-driving cars.

? We’re thrilled to announce our new partnership with @FedEx, the global leader in logistics. Smarter, cleaner deliveries are just around the corner. ?
Read more about the partnership here: https://t.co/xEWQDQhase#robotics #autonomousdriving

— Nuro (@nurobots) June 15, 2021

While self-driving FedEx vehicles would displace (not necessarily eliminate) a ton of jobs, the idea does have several benefits. FedEx could reduce delivery times and potentially cut delivery costs, which may result in lower shipping fees. The self-driving vehicle could also pick up packages for delivery, saving you a trip to your local FedEx store or dropbox.

In its blog post announcing the partnership, Nuro says that it will launch a pilot program to test autonomous FedEx vehicles in select regions across the U.S. Of course, these vehicles may still have a “driver” depending on local laws (some regions are open to self-driving vehicles but require that companies pass certification programs).