SAN ANTONIO – Texans' favorite grocer will soon raise its technology game.
H-E-B announced Wednesday it will begin using a self-driving car for grocery deliveries in the San Antonio area. The grocery giant will use an autonomous van to serve customers near the Olmos Park store.
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Officials with the grocer said in a news release that the move will help increase convenience, reduce costs, streamline operations and create jobs.
Despite the use of a driverless vehicle, H-E-B said the grocery buying process will still involve people.
The company is using an autonomous van from a California-based company called Udelv. The van has climate-controlled compartments that can store a variety of products, including frozen, dry or fresh foods.
For the first phase of the pilot program, which is set to kick off sometime later this year, the van will be manned by a driver.
"If the initiative is expanded, the retailer will implement a multi-phased roll out to give the technology time to learn the safest, most efficient routes, which will eventually lead to the ADV becoming fully driverless," according to a news release from H-E-B officials.