H-E-B plans to test later this year delivery by a vehicle with self-driving technology.
For the test, H-E-B will use one autonomous delivery vehicle (ADV) from Udelv, according to a news release. The vehicle has climate-controlled compartments for fresh, frozen and dry goods, and it can travel with the speed of traffic on city streets or highways.
During the first phase of the pilot, the ADV will have a driver. Depending on how that phase goes, there will be a multi-stage rollout in which the technology will be given time “to learn the safest, most efficient routes” before the vehicle is allowed to operate unsupervised.
“At H-E-B, we continue to evaluate and utilize innovative technologies in all parts of our business,” Paul Tepfenhart, senior vice president of omnichannel and emerging technologies for Central Market and H-E-B, said in the release. “As a leading digital-retail leader in Texas, we will continue to grow our partner population as well as technology presence to complement our store operations, enabling customers to choose how they shop, pay for and receive products.”