Under the terms of the partnership, Walmart will use Ford self-driving test vehicles equipped with the Argo AI Self-Driving System to deliver Walmart orders to customers.
“Our focus on the testing and development of self-driving technology that operates in urban areas where customer demand is high really comes to life with this collaboration,” said Bryan Salesky, founder and CEO of Argo AI. “Working together with Walmart and Ford across three markets, we’re showing the potential for autonomous vehicle delivery services at scale.”
The partnership will enable Walmart to respond to its customers’ evolving needs, enabling them to place orders of groceries and other popular items online for autonomous door-to-door delivery. Meanwhile, Ford and Argo will be able to integrate at scale by leveraging the big-box retailer’s large customer base.
“We’re excited to expand our autonomous delivery efforts in three new markets alongside Argo and Ford,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president of last-mile delivery, Walmart U.S. “This collaboration will further our mission to get products to the homes of our customers with unparalleled speed and ease, and in turn, will continue to pave the way for autonomous delivery.”
While the offering will initially be rolled out in three markets, the program will be expanded over time. Initial integration testing is slated to begin later this year.
“Argo and Ford are aggressively preparing for large-scale autonomous vehicle operations across a broad footprint of U.S. cities,” said Scott Griffith, CEO, Ford Autonomous Vehicles & Mobility Businesses. “Pairing Walmart’s retail and e-commerce leadership with Argo and Ford’s self-driving operations across these multiple cities marks a significant step toward scaling a commercial goods delivery service that will ultimately power first-to-scale business efficiencies and enable a great consumer experience.”
Since 2018, Argo and Ford have been operating in Miami, Washington, D.C., and in Austin since 2019. The two companies have also been testing their self-driving technology in Pittsburgh, Detroit and Palo Alto. Walmart also tested with Ford in Miami in 2018.
