Your Uber Eats Order Might Just Roll Up on a Robot: Avride Launches Delivery Bots in Jersey City
- Coralie Englebert
- 14 avr.
- 3 min de lecture
Uber Eats customers in Jersey City are now experiencing a new way to receive their takeout: autonomous sidewalk delivery robots. The latest launch from mobility startup Avride signals another leap forward in Uber’s growing focus on self-driving technology, and a new layer of innovation in last-mile delivery.
Launched this week, this pilot marks Uber’s newest move into the world of autonomous delivery, and it’s already turning heads. For Uber Eats customers in downtown Jersey City, the future has officially arrived.
Meet Avride: The New Name in Sidewalk Delivery
Avride might be a new name to some, but it’s a serious player in the autonomous mobility space. A spinout from Russian tech giant Yandex, Avride was formed after Yandex restructured its businesses following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Since then, Avride has been busy launching robot delivery pilots across the U.S.
In October 2024, Uber announced a partnership with Avride to bring both its delivery bots and its self-driving cars onto the Uber platform. Since then, the two companies have tested autonomous deliveries in Austin and Dallas—and this Jersey City rollout is just the next step.
Later this year, Avride plans to launch its very first robotaxi deployment in the U.S., also in Dallas.
So, What’s Happening in Jersey City?
This latest rollout will see Avride’s delivery bots operating across a 2.59 square kilometers zone in downtown Jersey City—from Hamilton Park to Historic Downtown and the Waterfront. That’s a compact but vibrant area filled with cafés, restaurants, and lots of hungry people.
While Avride hasn’t said exactly how many bots will hit the streets, a small group of restaurants has joined the launch. Participating locations include Michelin-rated Jiangnan, Rumi Turkish Grill, and Gulp.
When placing an order on Uber Eats, customers in the delivery zone can now choose between a traditional courier or an autonomous bot. If they go for the robot, they’ll be able to track it live in the app and unlock the bot to grab their food once it arrives.
Can These Bots Handle the Real World?
Jersey City is a bold choice—especially in February, when rain, snow, and ice are often part of the daily forecast. But Avride says their bots are designed to handle a range of weather conditions, including snow and moderate rain. Each bot can travel up to 8 kilometers per hour (km/h) and run for 50 kilometers on a single charge, though they’re best suited for shorter deliveries within 1.61 to 3.22 kilometers. It’s a high-tech solution built for urban, walkable areas—and Uber is betting big on its success.
Would you trust a robot to deliver your dinner?
YES, WHY NOT?
NO, I LIKE HUMANS INTERACTIONS BETTER
Uber’s Expanding Autonomous Ambitions
This partnership is part of Uber’s broader push into autonomous technology. The company now works with six AV partners across 11 cities, including Cartken, Nuro, Coco, Serve Robotics, and Waymo. In early 2025, Waymo’s self-driving taxis will also launch on the Uber app in Austin and Atlanta.
During Uber’s recent Q4 earnings report, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called 2024 a “turning point” for the autonomous vehicle industry, predicting it could represent a trillion-dollar opportunity in the U.S. alone. Still, he acknowledged that full commercialisation won’t happen overnight. High hardware costs, regulatory complexity, seasonal fluctuations, and the need for “superhuman” safety levels all remain major hurdles.
The Bottom Line
Autonomous delivery isn’t just a futuristic concept anymore—it’s showing up on real sidewalks, delivering real food. Avride’s bots might seem like a novelty now, but if this Jersey City pilot succeeds, you can bet we’ll see more of them in cities across the country.
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