Walmart is Testing Self-Driving Cars for Grocery Delivery
Alexandra Maloney
· 3 min read
Walmart is testing out a new way to deliver your groceries straight to your door—one that doesn’t involve an actual delivery-person. The superstore has partnered with
self-driving car
company Cruise to begin testing out grocery delivery via self-driving cars in Scottsdale, Arizona
. Not only does Walmart’s new delivery program have the potential to get you your groceries in a faster and more technologically advanced way than ever before, but it could also be helping the environment in the process.
Walmart’s self-driving cars
Walmart’s self-driving, grocery-delivering cars are set to roll out in early 2022, according to
Walmart Corporate Communications
. To make this all possible, Walmart has teamed up with the self-driving car company Cruise to test out the program in Scottsdale, Arizona.Cruise is a unique company because they are the only self-driving car company to operate an entire fleet of all-electric vehicles powered by 100% renewable energy.
Climate change and renewable energy are issues close to the heart of Walmart’s corporate team, as the company has pledged to have
zero global emissions by 2040
. On top of that, Walmart has also committed to helping restore, manage, or protect at least 50 million acres of land and one million square miles of ocean by 2030. When the program begins, Walmart customers will be able to place an order online from their local store, then have it delivered contact-free to their home by a Cruise vehicle. The partnership is the best of both worlds: more efficient grocery delivery while reducing the retail giant’s carbon footprint.
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Self-driving cars trend nationwide
MORE: Self-Driving Rideshare Cars From Cruise Are Coming to California
Grocery delivery isn’t the only industry dipping its toes into the possibility of self-driving vehicles. In California, Cruise has become invested in the
rideshare
industry. The California Public Utilities Commission approved Cruise self-driving vehicles to begin picking up rideshare users in the San Francisco area. Previously, there was a requirement for a back-up driver to be in the vehicle, but not anymore.
Similarly, the Google-owned self-driving car company Waymo, is using their vehicles as taxis throughout the country. With over $3 billion in outside investments, Waymo’s presence will only continue to increase.
Not to mention, car brands like Tesla have been in the self-driving vehicle game for a while, and other brands, like Toyota and Porsche, have plans in the works for self-driving vehicles.
How do self-driving cars impact the car insurance industry?
As we see more and more companies switching to self-driving, environmentally-friendly vehicles, you probably have a few questions before you begin to use them in your everyday routine. Many of those questions likely involve
car insurance
: who is liable if a self-driving car gets in an accident delivering my groceries? What happens if there’s a fender-bender while I’m in a self-driving rideshare? The truth is, legislators are still debating the answers to these questions every day, in order to eventually make laws about self-driving cars. As for insurance companies, their estimates for self-driving car insurance seem to be based on the cost of replacement for electric, self-driving car parts.
In the future, insurance for self-driving cars will likely become more regulated. For now, if you buy a self-driving car, expect to pay more in car insurance. Don’t forget, using
Jerry
to find car insurance can always help you find the cheapest rates, no matter what kind of car you invest in. 
