FedEx Express announced that it will test an autonomous delivery vehicle in China in collaboration with Chinese startup Neolix, a leading company in autonomous technology.
This is the latest effort by the leading logistics company to embrace technological innovation and deploy autonomous vehicles to embrace sustainable and intelligent logistics in China. The unmanned delivery vehicle is zero emission, all electric with L4 level autonomous technology.
This means it has self-driving tech with internet and intelligent cargo box tech, allowing for AI intelligent dispatching, all-round monitoring, and cloud-based management. ·It has a maximum cargo capacity of approximately 500 kg and a range of 100 km on a full charge. equipped with a technical system that can handle complex road conditions, traffic light recognition and weather conditions.
The cargo box of the autonomous vehicle can also be converted into a temperature-controlled compartment and a smart parcel locker.
“The rapid growth of e-commerce requires more flexible and efficient digital logistics solutions to solve the ‘last-mile’ delivery challenges, said said Eddy Chan, senior vice president and president, FedEx China.
Our collaboration with Neolix will help us further understand the role of autonomous vehicle technology in enhancing operational flexibility and diversity, which is our latest initiative to support sustainable and intelligent logistics.”
Also read: FedEx adds capacity between Singapore and Sydney
FedEx and Neolix began testing the autonomous vehicle in October 2021 in Beijing. The two companies will test a variety of operational applications in different scenarios including delivery to a campus, office building and station over different time periods and then will obtain feedback about the customer experience.
The autonomous vehicle will be shown at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November. Visitors will be able to see firsthand its advanced functions, operations and convenient applications.
“Our collaboration with FedEx is not only in line with market development trends, but also an innovative attempt for Neolix to explore the impact on the logistics sector in addition to the retail sector,” said Enyuan Yu, CEO, Neolix. “We hope to support the transformation and development of the logistics industry by utilizing the intelligent advantages of autonomous vehicles.”
In April, FedEx worked with the robotics company Nuro, to test and use its next-generation delivery robot in the US. In July, an autonomous delivery device developed by FedEx in collaboration with DEKA Development Research, dubbed Roxo, was tested in Japan. In September it formed a collaboration with the self-driving startup Aurora and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturer Paccar to test autonomous trucks in the US.
