Covid-19: Automated delivery cashes in on pandemic-driven demand

Toyota-backed self driving company Pony.ai demonstrating an autonomous electric vehicle delivery from a local e-commerce platform in Irvine, California. The pandemic spurred 'a practical need to provide some much needed food and package delivery services', said Peng, whose cars tested out food and grocery delivery services for the first time in California with the pandemic. — Reuters

The coronavirus crisis is accelerating a shift in the world of autonomous cars toward delivering packages instead of people, as big players open up a lead over startups in the race for funding.

"The reality right now is that goods delivery is a bigger market than moving people," John Krafcik, chief executive officer of self-driving technology company Waymo, told Reuters in early May.