BYD, Nuro developing all-new electric autonomous delivery vehicle

MANILA: BYD Co., Ltd. has partnered with leading autonomous vehicle firm Nuro to start the production of the company’s third-generation electric autonomous delivery vehicle. Millions of people across the United States are expected to benefit from Nuro’s affordable, sustainable, and convenient services.

In a statement, BYD Co., Ltd. Executive Vice President and BYD North America President Stella Li said, “BYD will leverage the manufacturing capacity of our Lancaster plant by finishing assembly of globally sourced hardware components to support Nuro and bring more jobs to the community. Together we will build this autonomous delivery vehicle, with the mutual goal of creating a safer environment on streets across the United States.”

The announcement was made after Nuro's US$600-million Series D funding round, which closed in the fourth quarter of 2021 and was spearheaded by Tiger Global Management.

Nuro’s third-generation autonomous delivery vehicle will have a bigger payload and new safety features, thanks to the advanced technology of both partners. The production-grade vehicle will also have modular inserts to modify storage and new temperature-controlled compartments to keep items warm or cool. It will also come with a multi-modal sensing suite that includes cameras, radars, lidar, and thermal cameras to create a redundant 360-degree view. It will also be equipped with an external airbag to further enhance pedestrian safety.

As a pioneer in the NEV industry, BYD has developed rich technologies in the field of electrification. BYD and Nuro are collaborating on vehicle development in this project, and BYD is in charge of vehicle production and initial vehicle testing. The company also provides hardware such as the Blade Battery, electric motors, electric controls, and displays for human-machine interaction. Nuro integrates technologies including autonomous driving, control modules, and sensors.

BYD will complete the hardware platform’s assembly in its Lancaster plant in the US, using components sourced from around the world. The vehicle production process will be completed at Nuro’s new facilities in southern Nevada, where the autonomy technologies will be installed and tested to make the platform operational.

Photos from BYD Co., Ltd.

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