In another signal that autonomous grocery delivery is part of the future, electric vehicle manufacturer EV Transportation Services, Inc. (evTS) of Boston, Mass., is piloting a new program in suburban Detroit designed to determine opportunities and challenges of such services. The company is teaming up with sustainable design and engineering firm Stantec GenerationAV to test actual and simulated autonomous delivery by an all-electric lightweight utilize vehicle called the Firefly ESV.

Data from the pilot will be used throughout the autonomous delivery ecosystem that includes grocers, fulfillment centers and delivery services. Among other goals, the program will help those in the industry understand consumers’ shopping experience, test different vehicle form factors and assess various technologies and operations in the public domain.

Information from the program, which is funded in part by the State of Michigan, will also be shared with public transportation efficiencies to help guide them as they determine policies and regulations.