Neolix, a Chinese provider of L4 (level-four) autonomous urban delivery vehicles, has announced a strategic partnership with global courier company iMile to expand self-driving delivery services overseas, according to Chinese automotive outlet First Electric Vehicle (d1ev.com), citing Gasgoo.
The two companies said they will focus on Europe, Latin America and Australia, working to scale up L4 unmanned delivery technology across e-commerce parcel delivery, supermarket retail and fresh-food cold-chain logistics. The partnership will combine iMile's last-mile networks with Neolix's autonomous vehicles to improve delivery times during peak periods and ensure stable fulfillment.
For supermarket and community retail scenarios, the partners plan to trial overnight or off-peak autonomous restocking and instant-retail delivery within minutes, aiming to ease pressure on labor and traffic during busy hours. They will also explore autonomous vehicles equipped with intelligent temperature-control modules for fully monitored cold-chain delivery, targeting the challenge of keeping fresh produce and frozen food intact through the final leg of the journey.
Cost and coverage benefits
Neolix and iMile said autonomous delivery vehicles can operate around the clock, and that scaled deployment could cut per-parcel delivery costs by 30% to 50%. The vehicles are also expected to fill capacity gaps at night, in extreme weather and in remote areas, while reducing tailpipe emissions and carbon footprint at the last-mile stage.
Neolix founder and CEO Yu Enyuan said the cooperation will bring autonomous delivery vehicles to more countries and regions, supporting the company's continued overseas expansion. iMile founder and CEO Huang Zhen said the company will leverage its global network and local service capabilities to integrate autonomous driving technology with real logistics scenarios.
Neolix said it has deployed more than 27,000 unmanned logistics vehicles worldwide, operating in over 300 cities across nearly 20 countries, with cumulative operating mileage exceeding 250 million kilometres (about 155 million miles). iMile's self-operated delivery network covers more than 30 countries in Europe and Latin America, with proprietary systems providing a unified service standard and digital experience.
The partnership marks a further push by Chinese autonomous delivery firms into international markets, as overseas e-commerce and retail operators seek to address labor shortages and rising delivery costs. The companies did not disclose a timeline for the first deployments.
