Amazon Scout Driverless Delivery Machines Get to Work in California
【Summary】Irvine, California becomes the second location where Amazon’s autonomous Scout robots are delivering packages to customers.

Companies working on autonomous machines and experts that are well versed in the industry all claim that delivery vehicles will be the first set of self-driving cars on the road. Whether it's delivering packages, groceries, or humans from one point to another, autonomous delivery machines are coming first. Amazon's autonomous delivery robots, called the Scout, have just started to deliver packages to customers in its second location in California.
More Testing Is Underway
Amazon has been testing its autonomous delivery machines for a couple of months by its headquarters in Snohomish County, Washington, but has decided to expand to a second location – Irvine, California. Not only is it a second location for Amazon's Scouts, but the new area is also larger and should test the machines true capabilities.
As the company outlines in a blog post, deliveries in California will start off slowly. Only a small number of Amazon Scout machines will deliver packages from Monday through Friday during what Amazon calls "daylight hours." Each robot will be accompanied by an Amazon Scout Ambassador for the time being. Random orders will be delivered with a Scout, as Amazon isn't offering a delivery option that specifically puts its autonomous machine to work yet.
The Amazon Scout Ambassadors are more than just babysitters for the machines. Instead, they're more along the lines of observers that are there to answer any questions customers may have about the machine. They'll be take notes on how customers react to the machines, as well.
Are The Autonomous Delivery Machines Ready?
Amazon's done quite a lot of testing with the Scout in its home state of Washington. There, the company claims the machines have navigated all sorts of obstacles that are found in residential areas, including lawn chairs, skateboards, and trashcans. The autonomous delivery machines have also dealt with all sorts of different weather. A lot of testing, though, was also done in simulation.
The Scout is an autonomous robot with six wheels that's roughly the same size as a recycling bin. It's battery powered and moves at roughly a human's walking pace. It's hard to miss the machines, as they're finished in bright blue and have "Amazon" plastered on the side.
Little autonomous machines aren't the only thing Amazon has introduced to get customers ready for the future. The giant recently introduced Key by Amazon that allows customers to get packages delivered to their car, provided they have one that meets its requirements. The company has also stated that drones could be a part of its future, as it would use those for its Amazon Prime Air service.
-
Electric Truck Startup Bollinger Motors Partners With Roush on Commercial Platforms For EVs
-
BMW Looking to Launch a New Modular EV Platform by 2025
-
Volkswagen to Revive Scout Name With Fully-Electric Off-Roaders
-
Microsoft Partners With Volkswagen To Test Its HoloLens 2 AR Headsets
-
Supply of 2022 Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen EVs Sold Out
-
GM’s Plan to Sell More EVs Than Tesla Hinges on Offering More Affordable Electric Models
-
General Motors Has Already Replaced the Batteries in 62% of 2017-2019 Bolt EVs as Part of Recall, NHTSA Report Shows
-
2023 Subaru Solterra Priced Higher Than Toyota bZ4X
- Electric Truck Maker Rivian Aims for a 10% EV Market Share by 2030
- Toyota Increases the Range of its bZ4X Electric Crossover Ahead of its European Launch This Summer
- Italian Automaker Maserati Looks To Leapfrog Others With its Fully-Electric Grecale SUV
- Stellantis Launches a $300 Million Euro Venture Capital Fund That Will Invest in Innovative Automotive Technology Startups
- Volvo Cars USA is Building an EV Charging Network at Starbucks Locations Along a 1,350-Mile Route Between Seattle & Denver
- 2022 Toyota Mirai Gains Hands-Free Teammate System
- Stellantis CEO Claims EVs Cost Up to 50 Percent More to Build
- General Motors Announces a Cobalt Supply Deal for Electric Vehicle Batteries With Mining Company Glencore
- The Ford F-150 Lightning Towed a 10,000 Pound Trailer Across Two of America's Toughest Towing Routes
- The Electric Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUV Will Use a Silicon-based Battery Developed by Sila Nanotechnologies