Nuro to create ‘tens of thousands of autonomous delivery vehicles’

Nuro is poised to become the USA’s first manufacturer of ‘tens of thousands of autonomous delivery vehicles’ at a new facility in Southern Nevada.

Nuro
Nuro R2 vehicle (Image: Nuro)

The California-based robotics company is investing $40m in the overall project, which includes $10m of capital investment into creating over 250 jobs.

“It’s one thing to introduce new jobs to the state – and it’s another thing to introduce high-quality careers to our community,” said state Governor Steve Sisolak. “We’re pleased to welcome Nuro to Southern Nevada and are especially excited for the careers they’ll be offering that will have long-term benefits for our community.”

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An end-of-line manufacturing facility will receive BYD USA’s electric vehicle platform where Nuro said it will be modified in volumes of ‘tens of thousands’ into autonomous vehicles. The company said it will design, develop, and operate all software and digital infrastructure in the United States.

Additionally, the company said it will be taking over 74 acres of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to build a closed-course testing facility that will allow development and validation of its autonomous on-road vehicles.

“This is a significant moment for Nuro. Building on our tremendous momentum - including strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Domino’s, Kroger, and FedEx and operations in three states - we are now able to invest in the infrastructure to build tens of thousands of robots,” said Jiajun Zhu, Nuro co-founder and CEO.

If plans are fully materialised, the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) estimates that Nuro will have a $2.2bn economic impact for a decade after completion in 2022. Within the same timeframe the company is projected to generate over $25m in tax revenue in the next decade.

Nuro’s autonomous vehicles are designed for local delivery services. Founded in 2016, the company employs approximately 1,000 staff in Northern California, Texas, and Arizona.