ARIZONA NEWS

Self-driving cars deliver food from Chandler nonprofit to Gilbert seniors

Jul 30, 2021, 4:05 AM | Updated: 9:33 am

(Courtesy photo)...

(Courtesy photo)

(Courtesy photo)

PHOENIX — A fleet of bright blue wrapped autonomous vehicles are hitting the streets in the East Valley to help a nonprofit deliver meals to seniors.

The eye-catching cars are from Waymo and deliver boxes of food from the Chandler-based nonprofit AZCEND to the Gilbert Senior Center each Wednesday morning, according to a press release.

Waymo is a unit of Google parent Alphabet Inc. and one of several companies testing driverless vehicles in the U.S.

The company stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic and offered its fully autonomous driving technology to transport more than 2,000 meals for the nonprofit to help scale up its meal delivery service by 110% as its base of the community’s most vulnerable residents continued to grow, according to the release.

Recently, the meals have been delivered in the newly wrapped blue Waymo Via vehicles.

The California-based company started offering autonomous rides to a limited number of customers during 2019 in an early testing program in the Valley before opening its ride-hailing program last fall to anyone seeking a ride within its 50-square-mile service area covering parts of Chandler, Tempe and Mesa.

Its prices are in line with ridesharing companies Uber and Lyft, with hundreds of passengers using the service each week.

Waymo runs 300 to 400 vehicles in Arizona for its ride-hailing service and testing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Phoenix Fire...

Colton Krolak

Phoenix Fire Department breaks ground on state-of-the-art fire station in West Valley

The Phoenix Fire Department broke ground on a new fire station near 91st Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road in the West Valley.

1 hour ago

Men entering seminary can spend two years at Nazareth House, which was established by the Diocese o...

Kevin Stone

Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix to create its first full seminary for future priests

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix announced plans Tuesday to create its first full seminary to educate and train future priests locally.

1 hour ago

Mike Broomhead...

Mike Broomhead

Amazing Arizonans: World Champion bull rider Cody Custer discusses rodeo career

On this episode of Amazing Arizonans, Mike Broomhead sits down with 1992 World Champion bull rider Cody Custer.

1 hour ago

a model room showing what the new community looks like...

KTAR.com

Eco-conscious, luxury rental community opens in east Mesa

An eco-conscious detached rental community recently opened in east Mesa at Ellsworth Road and University Drive.

2 hours ago

woman cutting a sandwich in the back of house...

KTAR.com

Eligible Mesa small business owners can register for low-cost college courses

A new program in Mesa is expanding ways that small business owners can earn college credits. 

10 hours ago

(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)...

Associated Press

Judge denies Phoenix request to extend clean up time at The Zone

A judge on Tuesday denied the city of Phoenix’s legal request seeking extra time to clean up the city’s largest homeless encampment.

13 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

SCHWARTZ LASER EYE CENTER

Key dates for Arizona sports fans to look forward to this fall

Fall brings new beginnings in different ways for Arizona’s professional sports teams like the Cardinals and Coyotes.

Sanderson Ford...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford congratulates D-backs’ on drive to great first half of 2023

The Arizona Diamondbacks just completed a red-hot first half of the major league season, and Sanderson Ford wants to send its congratulations to the ballclub.

...

Ability360

At Ability360, every day is Independence Day

With 100 different programs and services, more than 1,500 non-medically based home care staff, a world-renowned Sports & Fitness Center and over 15,000 people with disabilities served annually, across all ages and demographics, Ability360 is a nationwide leader in the disability community.

Self-driving cars deliver food from Chandler nonprofit to Gilbert seniors