This week, the California Department of Motor Vehicles granted Nuro approval to test its third-generation R3 autonomous delivery vehicle in four Bay Area cities, marking a positive step forward for the AV startup. Nuro's vehicles, designed exclusively for goods delivery, will be tested in Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Menlo Park. These driverless vehicles, resembling large sidewalk delivery robots, feature temperature-controlled storage units.
Nuro's expanded testing area will make it one of the largest deployment of fully autonomous vehicles in the United States, second only to Waymo. The company also has a 10-year commercial partnership with Uber Eats. Despite facing financial struggles, Nuro has made significant progress in advancing its autonomy software and hardware.
While Nuro has paused its manufacturing plans for the R3, the company continues to test and validate its new AI architecture on a fleet of retrofitted Toyota Priuses. The R3, capable of Level 4 autonomy, will soon be deployed in the Bay Area and Houston for deliveries. Improvements in AI technology have enabled Nuro to expand its operational design domain and set the stage for future scalability.
Although Nuro may need to find a new manufacturing partner due to potential tariffs on BYD-made vehicles, the company remains focused on perfecting its technology and maximizing its partnership with Uber Eats. Nuro is also exploring opportunities beyond autonomous delivery.
