Alphabet, Inc.'s Waymo is starting trials to ferry shoppers to Walmart, Inc.'s stores in Phoenix, Arizona, the company said on Wednesday.
Walmart shoppers in the Phoenix metropolitan area can order groceries on Walmart.com, and as their order is being prepared at the store, self-driving cars will transport them to the store and bring them back, Waymo said.
Other Waymo Partnerships
The self-driving car company has also teamed up with US shopping-centre owner DDR Corp to offer shoppers and diners lifts in its vehicles to and from the Ahwatukee Foothills Towne Center, in Chandler, Arizona.
Additionally, Waymo has expanded its existing partnerships with AutoNation, Inc. and Avis Budget Group, Inc. in Phoenix. AutoNation will offer customers a Waymo, rather than a loaner car, to get around while their personal vehicles get serviced.
Avis Budget Group, which keeps the self-driving vehicles charged and refuelled for an upcoming lift, will provide its customers with these vehicles as a last-mile solution, to help them pick up or drop off their rental cars.
Self-Driving Starters
Having worked on self-driving cars since 2009 and with five million miles (eight million kilometres) on public roads under its belt, Waymo is generally considered to be ahead of rivals in the development of autonomous vehicle technology.
Global automakers, suppliers and tech companies like Waymo and Uber Technologies, Inc. are pouring resources into the development of autonomous driving systems and launching networks of test fleets aimed at pushing the technology forward.
The complex challenges of self-driving and the high costs of research and development have led to a host of partnerships between automakers, suppliers and others.
News by Reuters, edited by ESM. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
