Tartu introduces a modern, self-driving delivery vehicle

Cleveron 701 is Europe’s first driverless courier with a license to operate on public streets

For many years, imagining the future has meant thinking of modern and autonomous vehicles driving through the streets of urban areas. Instead of simply imagining this future, the Estonian City of Tartu has taken on the challenging task of making it a reality.

Earlier this year, TheMayor.EU reported that Tartu is conducting a two-month trial of a self-driving vehicle. More specifically, the city is testing an eight-seat autonomous shuttle bus which drives passengers from the centre to the Estonian National Museum and back.

Now, the City of Tartu has shared that yet another self-driving vehicle will appear on the city’s streets this week. Residents will now be able to see Cleveron 701: Europe’s first driverless delivery vehicle with a pilot license to operate on public streets across the country.

The future of parcel delivery

According to the Estonian robotics company Cleveron, the innovative courier is the future of autonomous parcel delivery. The lightweight, electric vehicle is environmentally friendly and does not consume high levels of energy. What is more, it has a load capacity of 200 kilograms and a maximum speed of 25 kilometres per hour.

It is also interesting to note that the vehicle has multiple purposes and modifications can be made according to demands. In other words, Cleveron reports that the robotic courier can be used as a parcel delivery vehicle, a grocery delivery robot, or a high-tech ice-cream truck, among others.

Although Cleveron 701 is driverless, it is remotely supervised by a teleoperator. In this way, the company can guarantee that if a difficult or dangerous situation was to arise, a member of staff would be able to contain it.

In addition to this, Cleveron conducted traffic tests for over 15 months before introducing the robotic courier to Tartu’s streets. Thus, the company seeks to alleviate the concerns of those who may be sceptical about self-driving vehicles.

Cleveron Mobility Open Day

On Facebook, the robotics company shared that it invites all of Tartu’s citizens to approach the robotic courier if they see it parked around the city. Then, they must enter a PIN code and open the vehicle’s box. Inside, they will find their invitation to the Cleveron Mobility Open Day.

The open day will take place on 7 October when Cleveron’s new office will officially open its doors in Tartu. Attendees will be able to discover the activities of the company and its current job opportunities. Moreover, they will get acquainted with the self-propelled courier and get the chance to try operating it remotely.

Those interested in the open day must first register online.