Udelv has conducted the first public road testing of its autonomous, last-mile delivery vehicle at Draeger’s Market in San Mateo, California, US.

In its maiden testing, the vehicle covered a 2.5-mile loop that included lane changes, left turns and two delivery stops.

The vehicle covered the distance in test mode under safety driver supervision in compliance with existing California regulations.

Udelv CEO Daniel Laury said: “Deliveries are the perfect first application for autonomous vehicles. Customers simply open the locker with a press of a button on their mobile device and the vehicle heads on its way to the next delivery or back to the store.”

The new autonomous vehicle exhibits a distinctive orange colour and is built on a fully electric power train.

“Deliveries are the perfect first application for autonomous vehicles.”

It features 18 secure cargo compartments with automatic doors.

The current version of the vehicle is capable of driving for up to 60 miles per cycle and can load up to 700 pounds of cargo.

Udelv has also created an ultra-low latency teleoperations system that will monitor and control the vehicles remotely.

It will allow overrides and human-assisted guidance in certain situations to ensure seamless service.

A dedicated application is currently available on iOS to track and reschedule deliveries, while the android version is scheduled to be released soon.

Udelv expects that the introduction of the new vehicle will reduce the cost of local deliveries and carbon footprint, as well as provide additional flexibility for deliveries.