Commentary
CES 2018: Pizza Hut, Toyota Team For Pizza Delivery In Driverless Vehicles
- by Chuck Martin , Staff Writer, January 8, 2018
Toyota unveiled its design of a self-driving concept vehicle at CES in Las Vegas today and a deal with Pizza Hut to use such a vehicle to deliver pizza was announced right after.
However, there is more than that under the hood.
Pizza Hut became one of the founding members of a new ‘mobility services business alliance’ that also includes Amazon, Mazda, Uber and Didi, Uber’s Chinese rival.
Toyota’s self-driving vehicle concept is called e-Palette and the intent of the global partnership is to explore the future of pizza delivery and other initiates aimed at improving mobility around the world.
“In our ongoing and relentless pursuit to own and define the modern pizza experience, we are focused on technology-based solutions that enable our team members and drivers to deliver even better customer experiences,” stated Artie Starrs, president, Pizza Hut, U.S. “With Toyota, we are partnering with an undisputed leader in human mobility with a reputation for innovation, reliability and efficiency, as we define the pizza delivery experience of the future.”
The interesting dynamic here is the combination of some major brands, such as Amazon and Uber, to collectively leverage Toyota’s proprietary Mobility Services Platform to develop a suite of connected mobility advancements and create a broad-based ecosystem of hardware and software support to help a range of companies use advanced mobility tech.
Toyota said it plans to start testing the e-Palette vehicle concept in several regions, including the U.S., as early as 2020. The actual last steps of the pizza delivery are likely to be handed off to yet another piece of robotics technology.
Starting early this year, Pizza Hut delivery vehicles will be equipped with dual communication technology to capture data on driver patterns and behaviors, with plans to improve the existing driver-delivery system, including dispatching. Full deployment in the U.S. is expected by next year.
Last year, Pizza Hut launched voice ordering through Amazon Alexa, a pizza tracker system and the Hut Rewards loyalty program.
The Toyota e-Palette could impact Pizza Hut’s delivery business in the future or even serve as a mobile kitchen in parts of the world where the experience would match consumer interests, according to a joint statement from the companies.
Companies are starting to explore what can actually be done with self-driving vehicles.
Chuck Martin is Editor of the AI & IoT Daily at MediaPost and writes the daily Connected Thinking column. He is a NY Times Business bestselling author and his latest book is “Digital Transformation 3.0” (The New Business-to-Consumer Connections of The Internet of Things.) He is CEO of Net Future Institute and a frequent keynote speaker internationally. Follow him on Twitter @chuckmartin and contact him at Chuck@MediaPost.com.
"In our ongoing and relentless pursuit to own and define the modern pizza experience,
we are focused on technology-based solutions that enable our team members and drivers to deliver even better customer experiences,”
OK, have we lost our minds? ..............IT'S A FRIGGIN PIZZA!! I may be stepping out of focus here, but isn't the "experience" eating the pie, and how it tastes???>??>
Sereiously, does the average person care if the pizza gets delieverd by a pimple face high school dude or a unmanned rolling phone booth that is subject to be overtaken and robbed of it's goodies ??? I think I would have to see if I could get to roll in a ditch , just for fun. Then the experience is , don't be cryin' over spilt pizza.
So how much "DOUGH" does it cost to deliver the Dough?
“With Toyota, we are partnering with an undisputed leader in human mobilitywith a reputation for innovation, reliability and efficiency, as we define the pizza delivery experience of the future.”..................shouldn't that be "Human Immobility" that puts people out of work ??>?
AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE YOU C AN DO IT, DOESN'T MEAN IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
The Pizza Hut concept is just one of several detailed by the Toyota CEO here at CES today. Keep in mind, that this is a worldwide approach and not all markets are the same. One of the concepts is to perhaps cook the food in the vehicle. This is all a work in progress, Mark.
"Cook the food in the vehicle" ??? Then WHO has a job/paycheck that can even order a Pizza??
Back to your initial points, Mark, it is not the tech advancements that will decide, but rather the market and, as you point out, what people will actually do as well as want to do. Just because the technological capability there does not neccesarily mean there is business model.
Munchie munchers will gladly face this "Brave new World" of almost instantaneous food grarification.
Yes, and delivered by robot, Stan.
Wild Chuck. Maybe the business model should include the robots being designed as teenage heartthrobs to gain market share in the critical babysitter niche.
Hey, any micro-market Stan.