Intel Corp.’s Mobileye division today announced plans to launch driverless delivery trucks by 2023 in partnership with autonomous vehicle delivery company Udelv Inc.

Under the partnership, Mobileye’s self-driving system, known as Mobileye Drive will provide the autonomous driving technology for Udelv’s next-generation electric self-driving delivery vehicle known as the “Transporter.” The first Transporters are expected to begin operations in 2023, with more than 35,000 planned to be produced through 2028.

Intel said this is the first large-scale deal for a self-driving system and signals that Mobileye Drive is ready for commercial deployment in solutions involving the autonomous movement of goods and people.

“Our deal with Udelv is significant for its size, scope and rapid deployment timeline, demonstrating our ability to deliver Mobileye Drive for commercial use now and in volume,” Mobileye Chief Executive Amnon Shashua said in a statement. “COVID-19 has accelerated demand for autonomous goods delivery and we are delighted to partner with Udelv to address this demand in the near term.”

The first Transporters have already found a buyer: Donlen Corp., one of the largest commercial fleet management companies in the U.S., placed a pre-order for 1,000 Transporters.

The vehicles are said to be capable of Level 4 self-driving, just below full autonomy, with point-to-point operation. Udelv says its teleoperations system allows for the maneuvering of the vehicles at the edges of the mission and in parking lots, loading zones, apartment complexes and private roads.

Udelv was last in the news in January 2019 when it signed a deal with Walmart Inc. to use the startup’s autonomous cargo vans to deliver goods in a pilot project. What it’s offering today is, visually at least, a completely different product, having progressed from a retrofitted standard van to a vehicle that looks like a breadbox on wheels (above).

Mobileye, which was acquired by Intel for $15.3 billion in March 2017, has also been progressing along the way, although like others in the autonomous vehicle business, progress has at times been somewhat slow. The company was supposed to have started testing autonomous taxis in Israel last year.

Photo: Intel