INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Nuro, the autonomous delivery startup that raised $940 million in financing from SoftBank Vision Fund last year, is the first company to
that will be used for local delivery service for restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses
vehicle was designed to be unmanned and operates exclusively using an automated driving system
Chao said in a statement.The federal exemption allows the vehicle to operate without three features: side-view mirrors, windshield and a
rear-view camera that shuts off when driving forward
This exemption is different from the one that GM is currently pursuing for its self-driving unit Cruise
That vehicle, which is not considered a low-speed vehicle, has a much longer list of exemptions.The process was lengthy, even for those
and legal officer David Estrada said.The new R2 delivery bot has a more narrow vehicle profile and rounded contours where the side mirrors
would otherwise be placed
However, that required another exemption, Estrada explained
New passenger vehicles must have a backup camera that switches off once the human driver begins moving forward (to avoid distraction)
Nuro has the exemption for two years on a conditional basis and is required to submit reports on the AV driving system and provide proper
notice to communities where the R2 will be deployed
The exemption allows Nuro to produce and deploy no more than 5,000 R2 vehicles during the two-year exemption period.The R2, which was
designed and assembled in the United States in partnership with Michigan-based Roush Enterprises, has a more durable custom vehicle body
than its predecessor and a pedestrian-protecting front end that absorbs energy and can collapse inward to better protect those outside of
the vehicle, according to the company.The vehicle also has redesigned doors and a larger exterior screen for customers to interact with the
vehicle and unlock the storage compartments
