Fedex signs Nuro partnership to bring autonomous deliveries to your doorstep
In the future one of the things missing from your delivery vehicles will be the driver ...
Key takeaways
- In a significant milestone for the industry, it also recently earned the first ever autonomous vehicle exemption from the US Department of Transport for its R2 pod, which it began testing on the streets of Houston last year.
- In 2019 it unveiled what it called the SameDay Bot, a prototype battery-electric delivery pod that rolls down sidewalks and roadsides to complete same-day, last-mile deliveries.
- FedEx will task Nuro's vehicles with a similar responsibility, adding them to its existing fleet of 200,000 vehicles and using them to carry out last-mile deliveries.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2021) 'Fedex signs Nuro partnership to bring autonomous deliveries to your doorstep', 311 Institute, 21 June. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/fedex-signs-nuro-partnership-to-bring-autonomous-deliveries-to-your-doorstep/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Over the past few years Nuro has been taking some important steps toward a future of autonomous delivery via a variety of partnerships with some big names, and now it's just landed what might be its biggest fish yet. The startup has entered an agreement with logistics giant FedEx, which has committed to using the startup's autonomous delivery vehicles in the long-term and at a "large scale."
Since starting grocery delivery trials in Arizona with supermarket retailer Kroger back in 2018, Nuro has gone on to conduct similar trials with Domino's, Walmart and CVS. In a significant milestone for the industry, it also recently earned the first ever autonomous vehicle exemption from the US Department of Transport for its R2 pod, which it began testing on the streets of Houston last year.
Courtesy: Nuro
FedEx, too, has dipped its toes in the autonomous delivery pond. In 2019 it unveiled what it called the SameDay Bot, a prototype battery-electric delivery pod that rolls down sidewalks and roadsides to complete same-day, last-mile deliveries.
FedEx will task Nuro's vehicles with a similar responsibility, adding them to its existing fleet of 200,000 vehicles and using them to carry out last-mile deliveries. The pair have already begun testing in Houston, and will soon begin to incorporate Nuro's delivery bots in those tests and scale up from there, targeting specific use cases and markets.
Beyond that, the details are rather scarce around what vehicles will be used, and when FedEx customers might expect a Nuro pod to drop a package at the door. Nuro does expect its technology to make FedEx's operations more efficient, however, increasing its capacity and opening up new methods of delivery.
Source: Nuro
FAQ
Why does this matter?
In the future one of the things missing from your delivery vehicles will be the driver ...
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on transport and mobility and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 21 June 2021. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2021). Fedex signs Nuro partnership to bring autonomous deliveries to your doorstep. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/fedex-signs-nuro-partnership-to-bring-autonomous-deliveries-to-your-doorstep/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.