• Uber Eats, the online food ordering and delivery platform of Uber, has commenced its autonomous delivery pilots in partnership with droid developer Serve Robotics (an Uber spinout) and autonomous vehicle company Motional in West Hollywood and Santa Monica, California, respectively.

• The pilots were initially launched delivering small food orders from a few local merchants including an organic cafe and a juicery.

• The companies are reportedly charging customers for deliveries with both Serve and Motional including the cost of food. However, certain delivery fees for the pilot with Motional will not be charged, as Motional is yet to obtain permission from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to start commercial operations in the state.

<ul><li> Analyst QuickTake: Motional first announced the partnership with Uber Eats last December to pilot autonomous deliveries to the latter’s customers in Santa Monica—marking Motional’s first autonomous delivery service, as the company’s main focus is on developing robotaxis. Serve Robotics announced the partnership with Uber Eats shortly before Motional’s announcement to bring its delivery droids to cities in Los Angeles, California—marking Serve Robotics' first commercial pilot.</ul>