Ex-Googlers create a self-driving car to deliver your groceries

by Matt McFarland   @mattmcfarland January 30, 2018: 6:34 AM ET

Ex-Googlers make delivery robot for errands

Two former Google engineers have built a car that's personalized for delivering your groceries, pizza or dry-cleaning.

Nuro, a Mountain View, California, based startup, unveiled an autonomous vehicle Tuesday designed for making local commerce deliveries.

The company plans to have several of the vehicles making deliveries on public roads by the end of the year. It's also developing another version of the vehicle that's suitable for mass production.

The current prototype vehicle is about the height of an SUV but far narrower than a typical car. The electric car features four exterior compartments -- two on each side -- to hold separate deliveries. Each compartment can be tailored to a specific use, such as cooking a pizza or refrigerating a package. The company has not yet announced partners who intend to use the service.

The vehicle weighs about a third of a standard car, and is built for urban and suburban environments. The company doesn't envision it driving on highways.