Bern-based start-up LOXO begins autonomous grocery deliveries in Germany

LOXO has launched autonomous grocery deliveries in Germany for the first time. In partnership with retailer REWE and Bochum Wirtschaftsentwicklung, the company has deployed an autonomous VW ID. Buzz operating on real routes in the city of Bochum. The initiative is the first live deployment of a Level 4 autonomous vehicle for grocery delivery in Germany, marking an important step in the evolution of urban logistics.

Over the next six months, the pilot will demonstrate how fully automated home delivery performs under everyday urban conditions. According to LOXO, the project aims to show that autonomous delivery services can be safe, efficient and compatible with existing retail operations. The vehicle is fully integrated into REWE’s delivery system, allowing customers to receive orders without any change to the standard service.

The pilot builds on LOXO’s earlier activities in Switzerland, where the company introduced the country’s first autonomous delivery vehicle for public roads in collaboration with Migros and Schindler. Since 2018, LOXO has worked on developing reliable autonomous last-mile delivery systems by combining advanced sensing technologies with a teleoperation platform to monitor vehicle behavior during early deployment phases.

Automating urban goods transportation with technology developed in Europe

The company’s expansion into Germany reflects its broader strategy to scale its technology across Europe. LOXO sees autonomous logistics as a way to reduce congestion, lower emissions and create more efficient delivery networks. The Bochum deployment provides an opportunity to collect operational data and evaluate how autonomous vehicles can be integrated into urban mobility and retail ecosystems.

LOXO’s mission is to automate urban goods transportation with technology developed in Europe for European cities. By demonstrating that autonomous grocery delivery can operate safely in daily traffic, the company aims to support the development of greener and more efficient logistics models.

The pilot in Bochum represents an early step in LOXO’s European rollout and will inform future deployments aimed at improving the sustainability and reliability of last-mile delivery across the continent.