Clevon, a pioneering Estonian-based autonomous delivery vehicle innovator, strategically established its North American headquarters in the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ) in September 2022. This marked a significant move for Clevon and the global last-mile delivery market, which is expected to grow nearly five times in the next six years, totaling $57B1. To meet the increasing demand for same- and next-day deliveries, Clevon’s flagship product, CLEVON 1 – an all-electric autonomous robot courier designed to navigate urban environments with ease – will enable last-mile delivery to be more energy-efficient, cost-effective and scalable.
Driving the Industry Forward
While the promise of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology is already in motion, innovators still face a number of challenges to commercialization.
CHALLENGE
- Policy and Regulation: Companies like Clevon must navigate the ever-changing landscape of safety standards. Globally, regulatory frameworks have not been able to keep pace with the rapid technological development of AVs, leaving governments to independently create a patchwork of regulations that could hinder large-scale deployment.
- Infrastructure: Physical and digital infrastructure, a highly skilled workforce, location and connectivity are essential for AV development but scarcely available in one place, making it difficult to test, improve and scale AV technology for commercial use.
- Public Acceptance: To gain widespread adoption, the public must trust autonomous vehicle safety. In a recent poll, Americans are generally split on their acceptance of AVs in daily life.2 Public perception will either be a significant accelerator or barrier to adoption.
An Ecosystem Built for Innovation
Renowned for fostering cross-industry partnerships and innovation, the AllianceTexas MIZ provides Clevon with a unique ecosystem that also meets the physical, geographic, and logistical needs to advance its technology.
In less than three months, Clevon established their North American headquarters at AllianceTexas and completed their first driverless delivery through an urban environment in the U.S. CLEVON 1 successfully traveled 3.6 miles along public roads, navigating traffic and obstacles in real-time to deliver gourmet meals from O’Neill’s Inflight Catering to the Perot Field Fort Worth Alliance Airport.
SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS
Strategic Partnerships: Collaboration with visionary companies, developers, policymakers and the surrounding community is integral to the MIZ ecosystem. Creating opportunities for dialogue and connection across public and private entities allows companies within AllianceTexas to share insights that accelerate innovations.
For Clevon, cross-industry collaboration with award-winning, single-family community developer Hillwood Communities was crucial in realizing autonomous technology in residential communities. This deployment allowed Clevon to interact with residents, where they could educate, answer questions and generate awareness and acceptance for future adoption. CLEVON 1 is already being folded into daily life, delivering packages through a partnership with PostNet at Hillwood’s master-planned community, Harvest.
Robust Infrastructure: Regarding innovation, the infrastructure necessary to support leading-edge technologies extends beyond physical structures, including digital and critical infrastructure. The combination and strength of these benefits at the MIZ are unique to its ecosystem.
Access to Alliance Airport and proximity to DFW Airport were critical factors in Clevon’s decision to make the MIZ its North American headquarters. The MIZ’s unparalleled infrastructure also offered practical advantages that showcase Clevon’s technology in action. On-road testing has been instrumental in proving the safety and success of CLEVON 1, allowing the innovators to go beyond selling the vision and deliver tangible results that allow their customers to envision future opportunities. With a large concentration of globally recognized companies headquartered and expanding substantial operations in North Texas, the MIZ is the perfect location for commercialization.
These initial pilot projects are setting the stage for large-scale deployment. The explosive growth of North Texas makes it the ideal place for expansion. At the same time, the MIZ offers the right structure to support and accelerate Clevon’s commercialization and growth. From customer support to manufacturing and assembly, Clevon plans to continue building and operating from the MIZ. As they scale robotic delivery services in North Texas, new services – like food and grocery deliveries – can be provided using the technology. They have a growing list of partnerships in other cities and states across the U.S., including a collaboration with Tarrant Area Food Bank in Arlington, Texas.
Supportive Environment: For innovative companies to thrive, they require a forward-thinking and supportive environment where corporate partners, public sectors, and community members are receptive to their work and advocate for technological advancements.
From the beginning, Clevon benefited from the accommodating and personal leadership of the Hillwood team, which reflects the pro-business landscape in Texas. As part of the MIZ, Clevon benefits from its continued support and advocacy, making it easier to build partnerships with public safety officials, the Texas Department of Transportation and many other public and private entities. In this convergent industry landscape, Clevon has the opportunity to accelerate commercialization. Companies that stand together can capitalize on early market entry to develop comprehensive standards alongside policymakers who will shape the regulatory framework for AVs.
Entering the Transformative Era of Last-Mile Delivery
This case study compellingly portrays Clevon’s transformative journey within the AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ). The MIZ is a vital ecosystem that addresses challenges and propels innovation, collaboration, and the successful commercialization of autonomous last-mile delivery solutions.
In an evolving landscape, CLEVON 1 offers a safer, more efficient alternative to last-mile delivery with the ability to reduce carbon emissions to zero and labor costs by up to 90%. Clevon’s growing list of partnerships and accelerated path to growth serves as a testament that the success and scalability of transformative technologies depend on the environment they’re in.
References:
- According to Fortune Business Insights
- Polling data demonstrates the damaging impact of a single incident—Uber’s fatal self-driving car accident in March 2018—on public perceptions. AAA’s surveys report a significant increase in the number of surveyed Americans indicating being afraid to ride in a self-driving car: more than 70% in 2018 and 2019, up from 63% in 2017.
