The feds just blessed a custom self-driving vehicle for the first time

Enlarge / The new Nuro R2. (credit: Nuro)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Thursday officially signed off on a new self-driving vehicle from the delivery startup Nuro. It's a historic move; Nuro says it's the first time NHTSA has exempted a self-driving vehicle from regulatory requirements that apply to conventional vehicles.

Nuro's new delivery vehicle, the R2, looks a lot like its predecessor, the R1. Nuro has partnerships with Walmart, Domino's, and Kroger, and it has been using R1 robots to deliver groceries, pizza, and other products in the Phoenix and Houston areas since late 2018. But the R2 comes with some key improvements. The cargo area is significantly larger without increasing the overall size of the vehicle. And the R2-unlike the R1-has the ability to heat and cool the compartments to keep products at the perfect temperature.

The R2 is also notable for the features it doesn't have.

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