FairPrice and Pokka trial Singapore's first driverless delivery vehicle route

FairPrice Group (FPG) has partnered with beverages company Pokka to pilot Singapore's first autonomous vehicle (AV) route between a retailer and supplier, they announced on Thursday (April 2).

The 6km round-trip route plies between FairPrice Group's distribution centre and Pokka's warehouse in Benoi, within the Jurong Industrial Estate.

FairPrice said it is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen supply chain operations, which will in turn allow customers to peruse more efficiently and consistently stocked shelves in supermarkets.

FPG already uses these driverless vehicles to transport goods between distribution centres, with over 100 trips made each week.

Up to 1.5 tonnes of ambient produce, packaged products and other essentials are transported each trip, it added.

FairPrice received approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to fully remotely operate AVs on public roads in October last year.

It began trials for the route on Feb 25, 2026, and will transition to sole reliance on AVs for transportation along the route once it is approved for fully remote operations by the LTA.

Chief executive officer Vipul Chawla described the group's supply chain as the "foundation" of the entire organisation, vital to keeping "daily essentials within reach for all in Singapore".

"This pilot represents an important next step on our journey to embed innovation beyond our business, across our value chain to drive greater operational and sustainability outcomes for ourselves and our partners."

Should this pilot be successful, FairPrice aims to roll out similar routes with other suppliers in Singapore.

It also aims to grow its AV fleet from the current seven to nearly 30 in the coming years, with each AV reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 27 tonnes a year.

Staff will also be freed up from manual tasks and allowed to do more complex work as fleet size increases, the group said.

FairPrice also intends to expand its electric vehicle fleet to over 160 by 2030.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com