In late 2018, Nuro deployed the first fully driverless delivery service to help more people access and participate in the on-demand economy. It says that Americans make a total of 400 billion personal vehicle trips a year, with almost half in the name of shopping and errands, and it is looking to put a dent in the 94% percent of car accidents caused by inattentive driving by taking some of the cars off the roads used for errands. To create the best version of this new experience, the company needed to create a new class of vehicle. Called R1, the EV (electric vehicle) is custom-designed for its use cases and is built with integrated, deep learning, artificial intelligence software; proprietary hardware sensors; and onboard touchscreens for a seamless user experience. The R1 is just over 6 ft (1.8 m) tall, but it is about half the width and weight of a passenger sedan. Prioritizing the safety of other road users over that of R1 or its contents, it has a maximum speed of just 25 mph (40 km/h) and leaves a 3-ft (0.9-m) safety buffer around it for difficult traffic situations such as parked cars or people unexpectedly running into the road. The R1 was designed to ensure wheelchair users are able to reach the onboard touchscreen and access the full compartment area. After beginning to offer public self-driving deliveries in Houston, TX, in partnership with Kroger for groceries, the company expanded its delivery service in Houston with Domino’s for pizza. R1 has made thousands of driverless deliveries to the public since late 2018, with a best-in-class Net Promoter Score of 88 out of 100. Nuro’s service has expanded the reach of local commerce and already made a positive, tangible impact on people’s lives.

Click to view AVT’s 2020 ACES Award Winners best in class of