Ford, self-driving Argo and Walmart have announced the launch of an autonomous vehicle delivery service in Austin, Miami and Washington D.C. The autonomous vehicles will be hybrid Ford Escape SUVs that feature Argo’s self-driving technology to deliver items that customers order online from Walmart.
“Our focus on the testing and development of self-driving technology that operates in urban areas where customer demand is high really comes to life with this collaboration,” said Bryan Salesky, founder and CEO, Argo AI. “Working together with Walmart and Ford across three markets, we’re showing the potential for autonomous vehicle delivery services at scale.”
The service will be available to Walmart customers within defined service areas of the three markets and will expand over time. Initial integration testing is slated to begin later this year.
“We’re excited to expand our autonomous delivery efforts in three new markets alongside Argo and Ford,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president of last mile delivery, Walmart U.S. “This collaboration will further our mission to get products to the homes of our customers with unparalleled speed and ease, and in turn, will continue to pave the way for autonomous delivery.”
Argo and Ford have been testing the self-driving technology in Pittsburgh, Detroit and Palo Alto, California. Plus they have been operating ride-hailing and delivery services in Miami and Washington, D.C., since 2018 and in Austin since 2019.
