Ford, Walmart to launch self-driving delivery service

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Ford, Walmart to launch self-driving delivery service

Ford, Walmart and Argo AI team up to launch autonomous vehicle delivery service Reuters - Self-driving startup Argo AI, automaker Ford Motor Co and Walmart Inc will together launch an autonomous vehicle delivery service in Miami, Austin, and Washington, D.C., the companies said on Wednesday morning.

The integration testing will begin later this year, the companies added.

The move comes as consumer expectations shift to next-day or same-day delivery, specifically in urban areas with a higher concentration of deliveries.

The multi-city service will allow Walmart customers to place online orders of groceries and other popular items for autonomous delivery to their homes.

Walmart's Cloud-based ordering solution will integrate with Argo to manage online orders and route delivery. Argo's self-driving test vehicles with Ford's self-driving system will then deliver the orders to customers.

This collaboration will further our mission to get products delivered with unparalleled speed to the homes of our customers, said Tom Ward, senior vice president of last mile delivery at Walmart in the United States.

Walmart had previously partnered with General Motor's Cruise on a self-driving production pilot and with Gatik and Nuro startup companies to test delivery through autonomous vehicles.