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(update) Collect&Go, the Colruyt Group’s online grocery delivery service, is deploying an unmanned electric delivery vehicle in Leuven. The pilot project, which runs from mid-May through August, is a first for Belgium: never before has an autonomous vehicle operated on public roads without a fixed route.
Leuven as a test lab
Over the coming months, Leuven will serve as a live experiment for the future of last-mile delivery in Belgium: anyone living within the ring road of the student city can have Collect&Go home deliveries made via a self-driving vehicle. The vehicle is equipped with cameras and radar technology to detect obstacles and road users, and travels at a maximum speed of 25 km/h.
The unmanned vehicle can transport groceries for two customers at a time. Customers open the compartment using a personal code. After delivery, the vehicle returns to the Collect&Go location in Kessel-Lo to pick up a new load. Notably, the service is offered at the same price as the existing home delivery via private drivers (7 euros), emphasizing that both models are complementary.
Remote controlled
However, there are a few disclaimers to add. The vehicle will not deliver within the pedestrian zone or on the ring road. And although the vehicle is unmanned, it does not (yet) operate autonomously: an operator controls it remotely (from Kessel-Lo) based on the camera footage, “like a live PlayStation game,” explains Managing Director Tom De Prater. He emphasizes, however, that the vehicle is technologically capable of driving autonomously, but that the current permit does not allow for it. In a future expansion, it may be possible to have just one operator managing multiple vehicles.
Collect&Go says the test addresses two structural challenges in e-commerce: the high cost and complexity of the “last mile” and the increasing pressure on urban mobility. By opting for a compact, electric vehicle that operates autonomously (under supervision), the company aims for more efficient and sustainable delivery in densely populated city centers. According to CEO Tom De Prater, the rapid growth of online grocery shopping is forcing retailers to develop new logistics models, especially in cities where traffic congestion and environmental regulations are increasing.
