In recent self-driving vehicle and retail news, Nuro and CVS have plans to test a prescription delivery service that uses self-driving vehicles. The program will use vehicles from Nuro and run in Houston as a pilot program.
The Pilot Program
As mentioned, the pilot program will take place in Houston and involve CVS Pharmacy prescription deliveries made with self-driving vehicles from Nuro. Customers will be able to order the deliveries from CVS.com or via the CVS Pharmacy application with no extra charge. The program expects the orders to be filled within three hours.
To unlock the vehicle, customers must verify their identity.
The Plans
Nuro announced the tie-up in a Medium post in late May, in which it indicated a belief that autonomous delivery has the potential to improve the daily lives of people. The company offered it as a method of maintaining health and safety.
The first vehicles that Nuro will use in the pilot program will be Toyota Prius vehicles. They will feature self-driving technology, as well as a person who will sit in the driver’s seat and monitor the car. In the months following, this will switch to a vehicle called R2, which is unmanned.
The Goals
One of the main goals of this pilot program for CVS is to see the response of customers to the service. Stephanie Cunha, a CVS spokeswoman, told CNBC that the company is committed to its testing of innovative delivery solutions. CVS wants to provide customers with additional choices in accessing their medications, including when they cannot conveniently visit a CVS location.
Nuro’s Past Experience
This is not Nuro’s first partnership, as the company partnered with Domino’s and Kroger last year. These pilots are for delivering food and groceries, respectively, and are also pilot programs within the Houston area.
Nuro was founded by Jiajun Zhu and Dave Ferguson, both of whom were principal engineers at Waymo, the Google self-driving car project. Nuro has plenty of funding and interest, with Greylock, SoftBank, and other investors raising more than $1 billion.
Even More Relevant in Today’s World
While the idea of self-driving vehicles for autonomous deliveries has always been appealing from a convenience standpoint, it has become even more appealing in today’s world. Self-driving delivery vehicles can help minimize the contact between people, helping to assist with social distancing measures. It would also offer an alternative method for high-risk or immunocompromised people to get their medicines with a reduced risk of getting sick.
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