Driverless, with lots of Swissness, and sustainable: Migros, the Swiss startup LOXO, and Schindler are teaming up to test a new type of delivery service called “Migronomous.” The self-driving vehicle, powered by an electric motor, was developed in Switzerland and is now delivering groceries from the Migros store in Ebikon (LU) to Schindler’s corporate campus. It is the first time that such an innovative delivery service has been in operation on Swiss roads.
Migros and Schindler will test the self-driving delivery truck built by LOXO as part of a pilot project starting February 8, 2023. And this is how "Migronomous - powered by LOXO" works: Schindler employees can place a Migros order online. Employees at the Migros Mall of Switzerland branch in Ebikon load the delivery vehicle with the ordered products, which then travels at a maximum speed of 30 km/h to Schindler's premises 500 meters away. Once there, Schindler employees can use a code to open the compartment containing their order and remove their purchases.
The pilot project is very demanding. To achieve maximum success, the vehicle will be gradually guided into autonomy until it becomes fully automated in the final phase.
The vehicle operates between the Migros branch and Schindler's company premises from Monday to Friday. "We are strongly interested in linking vertical mobility with innovative, self-driving transport options. Connected transport solutions can make cities more livable and sustainable and make a decisive contribution to decarbonization," explains Christian Studer, Head New Technologies at Schindler.
Innovative, emission-free and Swiss
The self-driving delivery service is made possible by sensors attached to the vehicle that permanently scan the surroundings, passers-by, traffic and traffic signaling. The vehicle runs emission-free thanks to its electric motor. The LOXO Alpha can transport up to 64 shopping bags. "There is great potential in this to reduce private traffic on Swiss roads because customers no longer need to go shopping by car," says Lara Amini, co-founder of LOXO. The "LOXO Alpha" was developed and built entirely in Switzerland by engineers. It is the first completely self-driving delivery vehicle to travel on public Swiss roads.
At Migros, the growth curve for online orders has been pointing upwards for years. Migronomous can play a valuable role in on-demand delivery. "For Migros, it was quickly clear that it wanted to be the first retailer in Switzerland to actively participate in this pioneering project. A self-driving delivery service fits in with our pioneering spirit," says Rainer Deutschmann, Head of the Safety and Transport Directorate. "We can definitely see self-driving delivery services being an addition to our existing transportation fleet in the future."
Migros has been committed to sustainability in transport for years. The retailer relies on a multi-technology strategy for maximum CO2 emission reduction. This means that an ever-increasing proportion of different low-CO2 forms of propulsion - trucks with electric motors, bio-gas and hydrogen propulsion - are being used in road transport.