During a four-week timeframe, more than 150,000 pounds of food and supplies were transported through more than 40 trips in an autonomous vehicle donated to the City by EasyMile from The City’s MAC facility to Growing Home to provide food and supplies to thousands of families across the community.
This is the City of Westminster’s first ever autonomous vehicle project. The vehicle was donated for use by EasyMile, which was looking for a method to support a local community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovative aspect of this first-of-its-kind project is one example of the many ways the City of Westminster is approaching new solutions across the city.
“When EasyMile approached us about how we could utilize their autonomous vehicle, it was in part a response to the federal government’s message to encourage projects using autonomous vehicles to support COVID-19 efforts,” said Gregg Moss, the city’s Innovation Coordinator. “We immediately said 'yes' to this opportunity because this demonstrates the future potential of autonomous technology, and most importantly it helps our overall efforts to support Growing Home’s Food Pantry program as it has seen a three to seven times demand. This is a win for our community and a great example of a successful public-private partnership,” he added.