StreetDrone Set to Introduce Driverless Cars in 2 Years

StreetDrone says driverless delivery vans will be on the road in two years.

17:37 16 September 2021

Oxford-based tech company StreetDrone is optimistic that driverless delivery vans will hit the road by 2023. 

 

The firm recently received £3million funding from high street retailer Wilco, which hopes to trial driverless on-street deliveries as soon as the technology is permitted by Oxford City Council. 

 

StreetDrone will be using niftly looking last-mile delivery electric vehicles that are remotely monitored using video and wireless technology. Their speed will be limited to 20omph or less. 

 

StreetDrone’s founding partner Mike Potts said: “We’re definitely not focused on these things driving on the motorway or busy town centres, because the technology isn’t nearly advanced enough. Instead we’re looking at suburban environments and new build housing estates where this sort of ‘last mile’ delivery can bring real value.”

 

Even if the trial goes ahead, Potts said that driverless passengers cars may still take several decades to be realised. 

 

“We’ll leave that to others,” says Potts. “By our estimation Waymo have spent between $3-5bn on trying to make driverless passenger cars work, and haven’t been able to do it yet.”