Nuro is an autonomous delivery vehicle startup company founded in 2016 by two former Waymo employees. Since then, Nuro has been conducting automated delivery trials in major cities in Texas, Arizona, and California. Going into its fifth year, Nuro unveiled the third-generation self-driving delivery car called the Nuro R3. One of the most significant upgrades to the new Nuro EV is an increase in cargo space. Compared to the outgoing R2, the third-gen model offers twice the cargo capacity with 27 cubic feet of storage space. That equals approximately 24 bags of groceries. If the Nuro is being used to deliver packages, the EV has a payload of 500 pounds with heating or cooling modular storage inserts. Think of this vehicle as a mobile storage unit with climate-controlled lockers.
In terms of exterior styling, the new Nuro received a bit of facelift compared to the R2. The body is lower and more refined with circular headlights to give the vehicle an endearing presence. For safety, the Nuro EV uses 360-degree cameras, thermal cameras, proximity sensors, LIDAR, and radar to gain information about its surroundings and operate in various weather conditions. A significant improvement on the new Nuro EV is its external airbag. In the event of a collision, the external airbag deploys to protect pedestrians and cyclists from crashing into the solid mass of the vehicle. This new Nuro EV can also deliver the goods much quicker than its predecessor. The outgoing R2 had a top speed of 25 mph, but the new third-gen model has been upgraded to 45 mph. This will come in handy during 30 minute or less pizza delivery. Manufacturing is being handled by BYD North America, with final assembly completed by Nuro at their facility in Nevada.
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