INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Ford is teaming up with startup Postmates to pilot test autonomous on-demand delivery in Miami and Miami Beach, Fla
The pilot program includes 70 businesses like Coyo Taco
Ford is also testing vehicle designs with multiple lockers in order to be able to
serve more than one customer per delivery route
Since Postmates handles anything from food to hardware, the lockers are a variety of sizes.
The goal is to see how businesses and
consumers interact with self-driving delivery cars
On the employee end, they get an access code to place the item inside
On the customer side, they&ll receive a text message with an access code when the order is ready to be picked up.
Ultimately, we&re trying
to make interaction with self-driving vehicles as easy as possible,& Ford wrote in a blog post
&Through our collaboration with Postmates, we&re testing different methods for efficient deliveries to help local businesses expand their
reach and provide a seamless experience to customers.
This is similar to Ford previous partnership with Dominos in Ann Arbor, Mich
What different about this pilot, however, is the vehicle design that features multiple lockers, and both a touchscreen and audio for
Each locker also has two cup holders to ensure seamless delivery of beverages.
Ford expects to officially deploy its purpose-built
In its pilot with Dominos, Ford found &customers enjoyed the voice instructions that played over speakers mounted on the outside of the
vehicle to explain how to get their pizza out of the self-driving vehicle upon arrival at their house,& Ford EVP and President of Global
Markets wrote in Medium post in December.
