Nuro Driver expands Level 4 autonomous deliveries in California and Texas

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Delivery-only vehicles use Nuro Driver to safely carry food and drink, with no human present in the vehicle. | Source: Nuro

Nuro Inc. today announced a significant expansion of its driverless capabilities using zero-occupant vehicles with the artificial intelligence-powered Nuro Driver system. The company said this expansion covers multiple cities in two states and includes significant operational advancements.

The expanded deployment of autonomous vehicles demonstrates foundational technology for transporting people and goods, asserted Nuro. It plans to expand in Mountain View and Palo Alto, Calif., where the company increased its deployment area by 83%. Nuro also plans to increase its deployment area in Houston by 70%, in terms of linear miles. 

In September, Nuro expanded its business model to include licensing Nuro Driver to automotive OEMs. As part of the new licensing model, the company also announced the Nuro AI Platform, which consists of scalable and performant developer tools to support AI development and validation for the Nuro Driver.

“Since publicly unveiling our new direction a little over a month ago, we have seen tremendous interest in our AI-driven autonomy platform from automotive OEMs and mobility companies,” stated Jiajun Zhu, the co-founder and CEO of Nuro. “Our latest driverless deployment demonstrates the maturity and capability of our AI platform, and we’re excited for potential partners to capitalize on the performance, safety, and sophistication of the Nuro Driver to build their own incredible autonomy products.”

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Nuro Driver ready to take on new challenges

Founded in 2016, Nuro said its newly expanded operational design domain (ODD) encompasses advances including:

• Multi-lane road operation at speeds up to 35 mph (56.3 kph)
• Improvements related to complex scenario handling, such as reacting to active emergency vehicles, navigating construction zones, and responding to active school busesa
• Night operation, expanding service availability

Nuro said its system now covers a wider portion of everyday driving conditions. The Mountain View-based company said this expanded operational scope demonstrates the growing sophistication and reliability of its autonomous vehicles in real-world applications.

To date, Nuro said its fleet has logged more than 1 million autonomous miles with zero at-fault incidents, underscoring the company’s commitment to safety and technological excellence. Its delivery vehicle is designed with cost-effective, automotive-grade components.

Nuro claimed that its approach ensures that its technology is not only highly capable but also practical for large-scale deployment across various vehicle types and use cases. The company said Nuro Driver can accelerate autonomous vehicle development by enabling up to SAE Level 4 autonomy on mobility platforms and personally-owned vehicles.