Nuro Secures First Commercial Autonomous Vehicle Permit in California
Nuro becomes the first company to receive a California DMV permit for the commercial deployment of autonomous vehicles on public streets. The company plans to launch driverless delivery services in the Bay Area using a fleet of Prius and custom R2 vehicles.
Nuro becomes the first company to receive a permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles to deploy autonomous vehicles commercially on public streets. This historic approval allows the company to operate its driverless fleet on roads in two counties located near its Bay Area headquarters. Nuro plans to launch this service shortly with an established commercial partner.
The rollout begins with a fleet of Toyota Prius vehicles operating in fully autonomous mode, eventually transitioning to Nuro's custom-designed electric R2 vehicles. This milestone represents the final stage of a three-step permitting process that the California DMV develops over nearly a decade. The regulatory framework guides companies from initial testing with safety drivers, to driverless testing, and finally to commercial deployment.
This achievement adds to a string of major milestones for Nuro throughout 2020. The company's R2 vehicle earns a US Department of Transport exemption in February, secures a driverless testing permit in April, and expands unoccupied testing to three states by October. Nuro's chief legal officer emphasizes that this new commercial permit enables the company to provide contactless delivery access to communities across California.