Expanding On-road Operations in Southern California
Nuro is pleased to share that we’ve recently begun mapping Los Angeles and will soon begin autonomous vehicle testing in the LA region using our fleet of Prius vehicles. Over the next few months, Angelenos can expect to see Nuro’s vehicles on public roads, and later this year, we’ll begin testing autonomous driving in specific neighborhoods throughout LA County.
While we are not fully deployed in LA, the Nuro vehicles residents may see are laying the foundation for our autonomous delivery service. We take a careful approach to deployment that starts with creating detailed maps of roadway infrastructure and gaining a full understanding of the environment in which our vehicles will operate. Throughout this process, we engage with local officials, stakeholders, law enforcement, and the public to share information and get feedback from the community.
These first steps to full deployment are critical because LA has much to gain from future commercial deployments of electric autonomous delivery vehicles: safer streets, cleaner air, and increased access to fresh food.
In fact, Nuro’s technology has the potential to address transportation issues that have existed for over the past half century. John Yi, Executive Director of LA Walks agrees:
“Exciting new technology, like Nuro’s, is transforming how we move and live in LA, especially on our streets and curbs. It continues to be important to ensure all communities are enriched and benefit from this exciting future. We appreciate Nuro’s proactive outreach and look forward to working with Nuro to ensure historically disinvested communities have a seat at the table and opportunity to provide feedback.”
“We are delighted to welcome Nuro to the streets of Los Angeles. At Urban Movement Labs, we support Nuro’s vision, devotion to community engagement and helping the local workforce and retail through innovative mobility technologies. We are excited to explore how Nuro’s electric, zero-occupant autonomous delivery vehicles can further the benefits of affordable delivery services in a way that is safe, sustainable, and equitable,” said Sam Morrissey, Executive Director at Urban Movement Labs.
We’re excited to begin our initial deployment phases in Los Angeles for another reason, as well: to introduce new jobs to the market. To support our growth in LA, we’re hiring for several roles and will continue to hire as we expand our operations. This commitment to local jobs is central to our mission of bettering everyday lives through robotics.
The beginning stages of mapping and autonomy training are essential for Nuro’s deployment in Southern California. We envision a cleaner, healthier Los Angeles, and we believe that autonomous delivery can contribute to that future.
For more information, send us an email or sign up for our Nuro Neighborhood Pioneer Program. Also, download a flier about our vehicles in English or in Spanish.
