Domino’s Pizza, Ford Testing Autonomous Delivery Vehicles in Miami

On the heels of its first experiment in Ann Arbor, Mich., Domino’s Pizza said it is testing self-driving delivery vehicles in Miami, “with a focus on the customer experience.”

The two-month test in Miami, using a Ford Fusion Hybrid, “will leverage the learnings of the first round of testing, but will add the element of delivery in a larger, urban setting,” according to Domino’s.

“Our first round of testing the customer experience in Ann Arbor provided some great learnings and insights, including the fact that there are customers who are interested in this as a delivery option,” said Kevin Vasconi, executive vice president and chief information officer of Domino’s. “Our testing is focused on the last 50 feet of the customer experience, between the front door and the car. While we work to refine that interaction, we also need to understand how operating this type of delivery in a more densely populated city will impact the customer experience and the specific delivery challenges it might present.”

A Ford Fusion Hybrid vehicle – manually driven but outfitted to look like a self-driving vehicle – will take deliveries from a Miami Domino’s store to customers who have ordered online and chosen to participate in the test. Participating customers will be able to track the vehicle via GPS and will receive text messages as the self-driving vehicle approaches. The texts also will provide them with simple instructions on how to unlock the Domino’s Heatwave compartment inside the vehicle using a PIN code.

“We’re a brand that believes in innovation, continuous improvement and rigorous testing to benefit our customers,” Vasconi said. “As the automotive world evolves towards self-driving vehicles, we hope to put ourselves in a leading position by bringing our customers the delivery option that best meets their needs, now and in the future.”