FairPrice Group first in Singapore to operate driverless vehicles on public roads

FairPrice Group has received approval from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to operate driverless vehicles on public roads to transport goods.

In a statement on Wednesday (Oct 8), the company said it is the first organisation in Singapore to receive approval from LTA to operate such vehicles.

The group, which operates supermarket chain NTUC FairPrice, partnered with autonomous driving technology company Zelos Technology (Zelos) to conduct cargo transportation trials in October 2024, and obtained approval to transition to remote operations with the autonomous vehicles (AVs) in 2025, the statement said.

The group aims to add about 30 such vehicles to its fleet.

The Zelos Z10 AVs are the first fully driverless vehicles designed for logistics. It has a load capacity of up to 1.5 tonnes and a range of up to 210 km, and will be used for move goods between FairPrice's distribution centres, enhancing operational efficiency.

FairPrice said that this added efficiency will help the group keep shelves stocked across its retail stores and ensure daily essentials remain within reach for all in Singapore.

AVs to cut CO2 emissions by 27 tonnes annually 

It noted that with the use of electric battery-powered AVs, each vehicle is expected to reduce the company's carbon dioxide emissions by 27 tonnes per year, while also cutting man-hours spent on manual tasks. 

"Through this initiative with Zelos, we are bolstering our capability to support the nation's supply resilience by introducing innovation that makes our supply chain operations more efficient, sustainable, and digitally-enabled," said CEO Vipul Chawla.

This collaboration not only boosts Zelos' first successful overseas deployment but also marks a significant milestone in its global expansion.

With the ongoing expansion, FairPrice Group's electric vehicle fleet is expected to grow to over 160 vehicles by the end of 2030.

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com