Rewe, together with the Swiss technology company Loxo and Bochum Economic Development, deploys a highly automated delivery vehicle in daily operation. According to a Rewe press release dated 18 November, for the first time a grocery retailer in Germany is testing Level-4 autonomous driving in real-world operation. A specially equipped Volkswagen ID. Buzz is used, which autonomously processes orders for the Rewe Delivery Service. A safety officer sits in the cockpit and handles doorstep delivery.
Integration into existing processes
The vehicle is integrated into the infrastructure of the
Rewe Delivery Service. The routes are manually planned and controlled via the company's e-commerce systems. For customers, the ordering process remains unchanged; the vehicle appears with Rewe branding. Loxo is responsible for software and operations. The deployed "Digital Driver" software combines artificial intelligence with sensors to enable fully automated trips on public roads.
Goals and Metrics
The pilot is designed for about six months. Rewe and Loxo want to determine how a technically autonomous delivery service with as high a capacity as possible can be brought onto the
road. In addition, the partners are examining technical and economically relevant metrics, including the attainable degree of autonomy in operation. The project should yield real-world experiences in urban environments and support further development under high safety standards.
Location and Framework
The test takes place in Bochum, in residential areas near the Rewe Delivery Service's fulfillment center opened in 2022 in the western part of the city. Bochum Economic Development accompanies the project as a local partner and views the project as a building block of safe, intelligent and
sustainable urban mobility.
“With this pilot project, we are once again pioneers in Germany and are setting another milestone in the digitization and automation of our processes,” said Kai-Uwe Reimers, Head of Research & Innovation, Rewe Digital. “With our pilot vehicle we want to test how highly automated driving vehicles can meaningfully complement our existing delivery processes. This will push forward the identification, development and implementation of new technical possibilities. To chart the right path early, we pilot and test applications quickly and continuously adapt them during implementation.”
