Self-delivery for the self-sufficient: GMs latest driverless venture

Since the idea of a driverless car was introduced, car manufacturers across the globe got in a race to make the world’s first fully functional driverless car. While a perfect self-driving vehicle is far from reality, some car makers are getting one step closer to achieving the dream. Automobile giant GM, however, seems to have different plans with the driverless cars.

Collaborating with DoorDash, a US-based food delivery service, the Cruise Automation division of GM will start a pilot program, which will test using self-driving cars to deliver meals and groceries in San Francisco. Although in the primitive stage now, the system is expected to take off and stabilise soon. For the basic functioning, DoorDash has created a system to move food from merchants to autonomous vehicles, then notify customers when orders are on the cusp of arrival.

This alliance seems to have been done in the light of Amazon aiming for product delivering drones. However, like Amazon is facing issues, GM has its hands full too. However, with Honda joining forces with General Motors tech startup Cruise to develop autonomous vehicles, around 62,000 Fiat Chrysler minivans to its independent fleet and a promising team of Stanford University students spearheading the campaign, it would not be wrong to hope that the project goes through successfully. If that happens, we might have self-driving cars delivering food to customers soon.

Having self-driving cars poses as an advantage as it eliminates the possibility of a driver error, as well as minimises the risks of loss of human life in case of an accident. Major automakers, start-ups and tech firms are racing to develop genuinely self-driven vehicles, which the industries see as the next frontier in personal mobility.

Thus, while GM seems to have taken the self-delivery idea seriously, we cannot expect to see it turn to reality anytime soon.