Uber Partners with Coco for Robot Deliveries in LA
The robot delivery future is now one step closer to reality. Uber Eats is partnering with Coco, a robotics company, to launch emissions-free sidewalk delivery robots in Los Angeles.
"We're excited to welcome Coco's sidewalk robots on Uber Eats to enhance the delivery experience for both our retailers and customers," said Noah Zych, global head of autonomous mobility and delivery at Uber.
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Coco's little robots are already a common sight in some LA neighborhoods. The company’s fleet of over 1,000 zero-emission robots has completed more than 300,000 deliveries since 2020. And if this partnership proves to be successful, they're set to expand across the U.S. and Europe in the coming months.
For Uber, this collab with Coco is not the first move in making robotic delivery the new normal. The company's already expanded partnership with Serve Robotics, allowing up to 2,000 robots nationwide, teamed up with Cartken in Miami and parts of Virginia, and launched pilots with Motional's self-driving cars and Nuro's autonomous vehicles
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The robot invasion is all about efficiency and sustainability: faster deliveries, lower costs, and fewer emissions from delivery vehicles clogging up city streets.
"As we continue to popularize robot delivery in Los Angeles, our partnership with Coco drives us another step towards a more sustainable and autonomous future for delivery," Zych explained.
Yoour favorite delivery person isn't being replaced just yet, as these robots are best suited for short trips in dense urban areas, complementing rather than replacing human drivers.
Zach Rash, Coco's co-founder and CEO, is hyped about the partnership as well: "With our rapidly growing fleet, we're in a unique position to bring unprecedented scale to this partnership and deliver the benefits of sustainable and affordable robot delivery to more customers around the world."