Meet the Udelv Transporter, a cab-less autonomous electric delivery vehicle for multi-stop delivery making its virtual debut at CES.
This self-driving commercial vehicle has been developed by Silicon Valley venture-backed company Udelv using Mobileye’s autonomous tech.
More specifically, the Transporter is driven by the Mobileye Drive self-driving system consisting of a suite of cameras, LiDARs, radars and the fifth generation of EyeQ, Mobileye’s System-on-Chip for automotive applications.
The Transporter will also integrate Mobileye’s AV maps based on Road Experience Management (REM), a crowdsourced, continuously updated map of the world that digitizes what autonomous vehicles need to navigate.
The main component of the multi-stop electric delivery vehicle is a self-contained, hot swappable modular cargo pod called the uPod that can carry up to 2,000 pounds (907 kg) of goods. The Transporter can make up to 80 stops per cycle at highway speeds and cover ranges between 160 and 300 miles (257–482 km) per run, depending on the battery pack option—90 kWh or 160 kWh.
Udelv says DC fast charging will take 45 minutes to add up to 220 miles (354 km) of range, with the Transporter’s maximum operating speed being 70 mph (112 km/h).
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According to the press release, the uPod can be operated by Udelv’s mobile apps to seamlessly schedule, delivery, track, and retrieve packages. It is connected to a proprietary cloud-based software enabling intelligent loading and unloading, as well as a function to return items.
The Transporter can deliver nearly anything from convenience goods, e-commerce packages and groceries to auto parts, electronics, and medical supplies for B2B and B2C applications.
“This is a historic day for the transportation and logistics industries. The Transporter is transformative for two of the world’s largest industries: automotive and logistics. It was created to solve two great challenges of commercial fleets: the shortage of drivers and the electrification of fleets.”
Daniel Laury, Udelv CEO and co-founder
The company says it has more than 1,000 reservations for the Transporter, including from US-based Donlen and Europe-based Planzer and Ziegler Group. Udelv was also awarded a contract from the US Air Force for a pilot program on Edwards Air Force Base in California.
By 2028, Udelv aims to have 50,000 units of the Transporter on public roads, with the first Transporters to be commercially deployed in 2023.
The Transporter is Udelv’s third-generation vehicle, following the company’s first-ever autonomous delivery on public roads achieved in 2018 in California. Since then, Udelv has completed over 20,000 deliveries for multiple merchants in California, Arizona and Texas.
