Asda has partnered with autonomous vehicle technology start-up Wayve to deliver groceries to customers using self-driving vehicles.
The year-long trial will give the supermarket the ability to autonomously deliver groceries to a catchment area of more than 170,000 residents across 72,000 households in London.
The Wayve self-driving vehicles will join Asda’s existing online delivery operation at the Park Royal superstore in West London and have the capability to drive themselves to customers’ homes.
Asda Park Royal customers can place their next-day delivery orders online as usual, choosing from the full range of online products and selecting a delivery slot that suits them, the only difference is they could be randomly selected to have their order delivered in a self-driving vehicle.
During the 12-month trial, both an Asda employee and supervising Wayve safety driver will be in the vehicle when making deliveries.
Asda will load and unload the groceries at the customer’s home, but they will be transported from store to the door in a self-driving vehicle.
Simon Gregg, vice president of e-commerce at Asda, said: “Asda has long understood the value of bringing tech innovation to the online grocery sector and we are always looking at new and innovative partnerships to improve delivery options for customers. We believe autonomous technology is an exciting opportunity to shape the future of delivery, not only at our Park Royal store but throughout our nationwide operation."
