CES 2022: Udelv Transporter delivered
New electric van is completely autonomous – and promises not to park across your drivewayIs this the vehicle that brings an end to white van man?
It’s called the Udelv Transporter and is claimed to be the first cab-less multi-stop delivery van in the world.
Completely autonomous with no steering wheel, throttle or brake – or place to put them – the Transporter electric van was unveiled to coincide with the 2022 CES tech-fest by the Silicon Valley-based start-up.
Using Mobileye self-driving tech including cameras, LiDAR and radar, the vehicle is claimed to be capable of speeds up to 110km/h, a range of between 260km and 480km depending on battery pack size and making as many as 80 stops on its round.
Presumably it does all this without exhibiting any of the behaviours occasionally seen out on the street that unfortunately give delivery drivers in general (who are usually exemplary) a bad rap – tailgating, extending the middle finger when you complain, and parking across driveways while making a stop…
Up to 900kg worth of stuff can be loaded into a self-contained pod that slots into the heart of the Transporter chassis.
Of course, there’s all the more carrying space because there is no driving compartment.
The only point where humans seem to be involved in the process is acting on the smartphone app notification the Transporter has arrived to collect or deliver an item.
Udelv says it can deliver nearly anything from convenience goods, e-commerce packages and groceries to auto parts, electronic and medical supplies for B2B and B2C applications.
“This is a historic day for the transportation and logistics industries,” said Daniel Laury, Udelv CEO and co-founder.
“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.”
Udelv was established in 2017 and the first two generations of autonomous vans have completed 20,000 deliveries since 2018.
Udelv says it wants 50,000 Transporters in service by 2028 but is yet to announce manufacturing plans or partners.
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