HOUSTON – Images of Kroger’s new self-driving vehicles conjure up memories of "The Jetson’s" theme song.
The squatty, cube-shaped cars will roll down the streets in four Houston ZIP codes this spring.
For now, when customers in ZIP codes 77401 and 77096 order groceries from the Kroger on South Post Oak, a self-driving Toyota Prius will pull up to their home with their purchases.
Kroger is not releasing an exact date, but says the service will expand “later this spring” to its Buffalo Speedway store for customers in zip codes 77005 and 77025.
Kroger, based in Ohio, began testing the self-driving vehicles for grocery delivery last year in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The delivery service was conceived by the robotics company Nuro, founded by two ex-Google employees.
The company has reportedly completed thousands of driverless deliveries within the Arizona market. The service costs $4.95.