Coco Robotics, a West Coast-based autonomous delivery company currently on a mission to roll out its services in urban areas across the nation, announced Jan. 14 that its artificial intelligence-powered couriers began navigating the streets of Jersey City, New Jersey.
Coco launched a city-supported pilot program in The Heights neighborhood of New Jersey’s second-most-populous city, operating in close coordination with city stakeholders and local businesses. According to a Jan. 14 press release, the initiative enabled Coco’s first zero-emission deliveries in Jersey City and continues the robotic firm’s expansion efforts.
The pilot program received praise from Steven Fulop, Jersey City mayor and incoming CEO of the Partnership for New York City — an NYC-centered non-profit comprising more than 300 preeminent corporate, investment, and entrepreneurial firms. He recognized the effort as a move that can improve merchants’ bottom lines in one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods.
“Autonomous delivery is a natural evolution of how cities can support local businesses,” Fulop said in a press release. “By helping merchants fulfill orders efficiently and safely, these robots can boost their bottom line. They’re also built to navigate busy urban streets and operate reliably, even in harsh weather. It’s exciting to see Jersey City leading the way in showing what modern, sustainable cities can look like.”
Jersey City welcomed the state’s first autonomous delivery program just under a year ago, which stemmed from a partnership between third-party delivery platform Uber Eats and Texas-based automation technology developer Avride Inc., according to February 2025 reporting from NJ.com.
Cocos’ pilot program showcases a growing collaboration between the city and tech companies. The deployment of AI-powered couriers in The Heights allows the robotics firm to demonstrate how the technology can operate in bustling neighborhoods while gathering community feedback to help steer future expansion.
The Jersey City program adds an East Coast urban area to Coco’s list of service areas, which already includes domestic and international cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago and Helsinki, Finland.
“Walkable neighborhoods like those throughout Jersey City are exactly where autonomous delivery makes the most sense,” Zach Rash, Coco Robotics’s cofounder and CEO. “Our robots move goods without adding another 4,000-pound car to busy streets. They’re also far more efficient and inherently safer, while helping reduce traffic, parking congestion and emissions. That efficiency allows us to make local deliveries more affordable for both merchants and residents, and provides a more practical way to move goods around dense urban neighborhoods.”
Late last year, Coco’s chief commercial officer, Melissa Fahs, reported that the company was building autonomous delivery vehicles as quickly as possible to meet demand, aiming to reach 10,000 robots by the end of 2026.
