Delivery services have become an essential part of our daily lives. Whether it’s ordering groceries or getting your favorite food delivered, the demand for fast and efficient delivery services is growing rapidly. However, with the rise in demand, comes an increase in delivery costs, which can make it challenging for businesses to keep up with the competition. That’s where Udelv’s Transporter comes in – a category-defining cab-less battery electric vehicle (BEV) that is engineered to lower delivery costs and unlock new services for last- and middle-mile deliveries.
Introducing the Udelv Transporter
The Udelv Transporter is a fully electric BEV that is designed specifically for multi-stop driverless deliveries. With two battery size options to choose from – 160 kWh (up to 270 miles per charge) and 100 kWh (up to 170 miles per charge) – the Transporter is committed to reducing carbon emissions and enabling fleet operators to fulfill their sustainability goals.
One of the most innovative features of the Transporter is its detachable uPod, which includes proprietary software-controlled robotic mechanisms that form variable apertures revealing cargo destined for each customer. The uPod’s adaptive shelving accommodates various sized packages, from small envelopes to 65″ TVs, and is capable of storing up to 270 cubic feet of goods and up to 80 separate compartments.
Lower production and maintenance costs
The no-cabin/occupant-less design of the Udelv Transporter means that there is no need for a driver, windshield, seats, seat belts, airbags, steering wheel, or foot pedals. This significantly lowers production and maintenance costs, making it an affordable option for fleet operators.
Autonomous driving technology
The Udelv Transporter is driven by Intel’s Mobileye Drive, the industry’s most sophisticated, scalable, and secure autonomous driving system available worldwide. This enables the Transporter to navigate at highway speeds up to 70 mph. The Transporter uses a combination of autonomous driving technology and remote-control operations to take it from point A to point B within a defined geographical area. Gradually the need for tele-operators will decrease as more roads, paved and unpaved, get mapped.
Scheduling and loading
The Udelv Schedule module offers a set of user-friendly tools, services, and dashboards to easily schedule, add, remove or modify routes. Businesses can choose to create fixed routes for B2B operations, or individual consumers can use a Udelv API to seamlessly interact with a site’s check-out process to pick a delivery time and let the system automatically create customer routes.
Loading is made easy with a merchant mobile app that enables business associates to quickly load the Transporter and fill up to 40 compartments on each side. Associates can adapt the size of each compartment to the dimensions of the packages by adding or removing horizontal shelves and vertical partitions, each of which features sensors to detect the size of the compartment, automatically send the information to the cloud and attribute it to a recipient. Compartmentalization can be made to correspond to individual customer deliveries on B2C routes or organized as partitions for bulk deliveries of goods to stores on multi-stop B2B routes. Additionally, the software supports returning goods for both B2C and B2B routes.
Real-time notifications and unloading via App
With the Udelv mobile app, you can follow your packages on an interactive map and receive real-time notifications. Be alerted five minutes before your goods arrive and again when the Transporter has come to your door and is ready for unloading. Unloading is made easy with a combination of features offered on mobile devices. There is no need for a vehicle screen or keyboard since everything can be handled from a phone.
Pricing and availability
Each Udelv Transporter unit requires a $1,000 down-payment to secure reservations. Limited pilot units will be available in the fourth quarter of 2023, and first production units by end of 2024.
Source: Udelv
