On August 27, self-driving car company AutoX launched its grocery delivery Pilot program in San Jose, California.
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​The grocery delivery and mobile store pilot allows users to order and receive fresh produce and other goods, with AutoX’s self-driving cars making the deliveries.

The pilot will be available to customers in geo-fenced areas near AutoX’s home in San Jose, and regular expansions are expected to occur every few weeks.

To start, users will download the AutoX app, where they can browse and order items such as, but not limited to, fresh perishables, vegetables, fruits, etc. Throughout their ride over to customers, the groceries will be well-preserved in a temperature-controlled environment.

AutoX’s self-driving vehicles are also equipped with mobile shop shelves in their backseat right windows, allowing AutoX to enable two shopping experiences with self-driving cars.

“You can order goods from an app and get them delivered by a self-driving vehicle; or, our self-driving car brings a shelf of goods to you, and you can select and purchase onsite in front of your house,” explains AutoX COO Jewel Li.

AutoX describes the traditional way of grocery shopping as “tedious,” so the company is looking to bring a new way of grocery shopping that will free people to enjoy the best part of the process, which is “receiving the goods, and enjoying our purchases,” the company says.

To help achieve its goals, AutoX has developed a good amount of technology in-house, including high resolution camera-first sensing that enables safe detection of small objects such as kids and pets, and see further up the road.

AutoX has two launch partners: GrubMarket and DeMartini. Based in San Francisco, GrubMarket connects larger brick and mortar stores like Whole Foods directly to farms, while DeMartini is a locally-owned store in Los Altos, California that specializes in farm-fresh produce.

“We are thrilled to combine the fresh and affordable grocery experience of GrubMarket, with the ingenuity and delivery capabilities of AutoX,” comments GrubMarket CEO Mike Xu. “We look forward to providing our customers with even more convenient delivery options.”

During the pilot, a smart scheduling and fleet management system will be tested. The pilot will also give AutoX the chance to test its autonomous driving service in the market, and understand areas for improvement and refinement.

“It also allows us to introduce AutoX to the world — we have a vision for future, and we can’t wait to bring it to you,” AutoX says.