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Technology
Will Amazon Soon Deliver by Self Driving Vehicles?
Chains of delivery vehicles might leave a warehouse together, perhaps even led by a human driver for now. As each vehicle nears its destination, it could split off at lower speed for autonomous safety.
Amazon is reported to be negotiating to buy Zoox, a self-driving car company that apparently bit off more than it can chew. Amazon’s interest in this technology is not new; they bought Aurora in 2019 and have dabbled in drones and sidewalk robots.
It’s easy to see how advantageous self-driving vehicles would be for Amazon: they could shed a big pile of driver salaries and benefits as well as the cost of contracted drivers. Presumably, the same vehicles could pick up returns as well. They might even carry extra stock of popular products to allow almost instant delivery for those items. If a shipment is refused, the vehicle could check to see if anyone nearby has ordered it more recently and thereby be able to fill that order nearly immediately.
Safety
Delivery vehicles don’t have to carry human cargo. That implies that they can be narrower, which makes them more maneuverable, and do not need to protect…
