On Tuesday, Colruyt’s online grocery service Collect&Go launched an innovative home delivery service in Leuven using an unmanned electric vehicle. The project began as a pilot earlier. 

The launch is part of the broader development of sustainable and efficient urban logistics. The vehicle is – for the time being – remotely controlled and monitored via the 5G network, in collaboration with technology partner Telenet Business.

This is a Belgian first and genuinely innovative for Europe – although not unique globally: a small autonomous vehicle is driving on public roads without a fixed route, delivering groceries directly to customers. They receive a text message when the van arrives, along with a code to open the hatch and retrieve their groceries.

Time-consuming administration

Colruyt purchased the vans four years ago and tested them in parking lots in Londerzeel because the regulatory framework did not allow them to be released on public roads. It took a long time to obtain permission from all competent authorities, including the Flemish Government, the city administration, and the police.

The van does not drive completely autonomously yet. An operator monitors every trip in real-time via a specialized network connection. The uncrewed vehicle travels at a maximum speed of 25 km/hour and is equipped with cameras and sensors that continuously analyze and monitor the surroundings. Obstacles such as cyclists, pedestrians, and other vehicles are automatically detected.

Better urban living environment

Orders are picked up from the Collect&Go point in Kessel-Lo and delivered by the autonomous vehicle. The delivery cost is 7 euros, comparable to other home delivery options.

With this service, Collect&Go aims not only to reduce traffic congestion and the environmental impact of deliveries but also to contribute to a better urban living environment.

Enthusiastic reactions

Minister of Mobility Jean‑Luc Crucke (Les Engagés) wants to commit himself, as minister, to ensuring that an innovation like this can develop safely and thus contribute to sustainable, low-carbon mobility. 

The city of Leuven is also enthusiastic because the project contributes to safer and more efficient urban traffic. Finally, for Colruyt, it is a stepping stone to more and broader applications of autonomous, electric deliveries in an urban context.

The project was realized in collaboration with the City of Leuven and the Federal Public Service Mobility, which granted the permit for the vehicle on public roads. The Agency for Roads and Traffic and the research organization Vias also contributed to the safety analyses.

Europe

Across Europe, autonomous delivery is still mostly experimental and tightly regulated. As a result, most projects are limited pilots. Companies like Starship Technologies operate in Estonia, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

But use small autonomous delivery robots that operate on sidewalks, not on roads. Germany, France, and Sweden, on the other hand, use unmanned delivery vans, but they are often limited to fixed routes and controlled zones.

The Colruyt project in Leuven is unique because the vans use public roads, do not have to follow a fixed route, and actually serve ‘real’ customers. That combination is still very exceptional in Europe. The Leuven project is cutting-edge for Europe for its flexibility and real-world use.

US and China?

In the US, the technology is more advanced but still uneven. Key players there include Nuro, Amazon, and Walmart, but they’re not yet widely adopted, and many pilots are paused or scaled back due to costs.

China is the most advanced market for autonomous deliveries. In some cities, hundreds of robots operate daily to deliver parcels, groceries, and even fresh food. Demand for delivery is massive, and the government is strongly supporting it.

Profitable yet?

However, most autonomous deliveries are not profitable yet. Ironically, automation doesn’t yet beat a human on cost in many cities. The same goes for the Colruyt project. On top of that, robots are idle most hours of the day; they still usually require human supervision, and they need a high volume density to be profitable.

The real question for the industry is: Is autonomy solving a real problem – or is it just a cool demo? The reality is that labor is still cheaper than robots in Europe. Fully driverless fleets are too risky and too expensive, for the time being. However, in the long term, we may expect a real move toward true autonomy, given that costs will drop significantly.