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This is the first time that the delivery robots created by Clevon (formerly Cleveron Mobility) are used in the retail trade and for delivering packages to private individuals. What makes Clevon’s delivery courier CLEVON 1 unique is the fact that it is a vehicle resembling a small car which takes goods to the customer, driving on a roadway. This is why Clevon’s robots can deliver goods quickly and pick up medium-sized domestic appliances and electronics. The project was realised in cooperation between Euronics, the largest electronics retailer in Estonia, international courier company DPD, and Clevon, a manufacturer of autonomous robots.
The delivery robot will work for Euronics customers in Viljandi, South Estonia until 23 September 2022 and during that time every customer will be able to order delivery of the goods purchased from the Euronics store within the city limits of Viljandi with a self-driving autonomous robot. The service can be used for up to medium-sized home electronics, the weight of which does not exceed 100kg – for example, vacuum cleaners, microwave ovens and the like. Each delivery is estimated to take about half an hour.
An ongoing automation journey in the electronics retail
Automation of the whole journey of its goods is one of the long-term goals of Euronics, Estonia’s largest seller of home appliances and electronics.
“The robotic warehouse that opened in the spring, in the light of ever-increasing sales volumes has made it possible to save a significant amount of electricity and time, while simultaneously speeding up the order picking and shipping process many times over,” said Kaidi Kelt, retail sales manager of Euronics. “While today the first mile in our central warehouse is already covered by robots, with the Viljandi pilot project, we are also automating the so-called last mile, the transport of goods to the end customer, to further speed up delivery of goods to customers.”
DPD Estonia, which already today delivers all parcels in a carbon-neutral way, sees delivery robots as an opportunity to reduce the environmental footprint further and to encourage consumers to choose package transport options that are less burdensome to the environment.
“The decision about the last mile of package transport, or how the package reaches the customer, is usually up to the customer. The test period allows consumers to get to know the new innovative solutions more closely, while we can collect feedback necessary for the development of the service,” Remo Kirss, CEO of DPD Estonia commented.
Large robots travelling up to 100 km on a single charge
Clevon delivery robots driving on the streets of Viljandi are street legal and 100 per cent electric, travelling up to 100 kilometres on a single charge. Electric autonomous vehicles of the last mile make it possible to reduce the noise and pollution level of the urban environment without forcing the customers to abandon the comfort of ordering packages and food to their home or office.
“Estonia is an ideal country for the development and testing of unique new technology solutions, and so far, our delivery robots have integrated into everyday traffic very well,” said Arno Kütt, chairman of the board of Clevon. “Today, we are starting a test period on the streets of Viljandi, but the ultimate goal is to make our technology available to the entire society and for it to be used as a preferred delivery solution.”
All Euronics customers within the city of Viljandi can order a delivery robot on weekdays from 12:30 to 15:30. The last shipment will reach the customer no later than at 16:30. The autonomous robot sends an SMS notification to the customer when it starts moving, and when it arrives at the customer’s address.
