Rewe, a German retail company, is testing the use of a unit of the ID. Buzz equipped with Level 4 autonomous driving technology for grocery deliveries. The pilot project will last approximately six months and is being carried out in collaboration with the Swiss start-up Loxo, in the Ruhr Valley, near the city of Bochum.
Since the project is still in a very embryonic phase, and to ensure all required safety standards, there is always a person on board the ID. Buzz ready to intervene and take control of the vehicle in case of any unforeseen situation or operational problem. This operator is responsible for delivering goods to customers, and the level of autonomous driving implemented is the maximum allowed in pilot projects on German roads.
The goal is very simple, but obviously complex to execute: to develop a solution for grocery article deliveries to homes with the highest possible capacity for autonomous driving. The partners want to gather a massive amount of information to optimize processes and allow the integration of the electric ID. Buzz into the regular distribution fleet, but only after passing the test and eliminating regulatory barriers.
“We want to see how these vehicles can improve our processes,” said Kai-Uwe Reimers, director of Research and Innovation at Rewe. However, it is unknown how the company intends to address another question: will there be an employee on board to deliver the goods to customers?…
