Collect&Go and Telenet Business launch innovative home delivery with unmanned electric vehicle in Leuven

Collect&Go, the online grocery service of Colruyt Group, today presented a 100% electric unmanned vehicle that will deliver groceries to customers’ homes in Leuven city centre from mid-May until August. This is the first unmanned vehicle in Belgium to operate on public roads without following a fixed route. It is controlled via the 5G network of Telenet group and remotely monitored to ensure safety. This technology responds to evolving urban mobility needs and the challenges associated with home delivery in a city environment.

Groundbreaking innovation project in collaboration with 'Stad Leuven' and 'FOD Mobiliteit'

E-commerce is a fast-growing and competitive market, globally aligned with the shift towards eco-friendly electric transport in densely populated areas. As Belgium’s market leader, Collect&Go is once again taking the lead with the launch of this unmanned vehicle.

Tom De Prater, Director at Collect&Go, explains the motivation behind introducing an unmanned vehicle in the city: “Online grocery shopping is a key pillar for Colruyt Group, and our ambition is to remain best-in-class, as we have been for over 25 years. In a rapidly evolving e-commerce landscape, we continuously look for ways to organise the last mile as efficiently and sustainably as possible. The cost of these final kilometres is high, and urban mobility presents challenges. Investing in innovation and creative solutions is crucial and is part of Colruyt Group’s DNA."

Minister of Mobility Jean-Luc Crucke: "Autonomous mobility is no longer a distant vision of the future: it is a transformation that is happening right now, and one that we must guide responsibly. My role as Minister is to create the conditions that allow this innovation to develop safely, while also steering it towards more sustainable and low-carbon mobility. That is exactly what we are working on today, both at Belgian level and together with our European partners, to ensure that this transition becomes a collective success."

'FOD Mobiliteit' granted Colruyt Group a permit to operate the unmanned vehicle on public roads. 'Agentschap Wegen en Verkeer' and 'VIAS' were also involved. In the coming weeks, the vehicle will take to the streets in Leuven to map out its route. From mid-May, all residents within postal code 3000 (excluding the pedestrian zone and the ring road) will be able to benefit from home delivery at the lowest prices, carried out by the vehicle.

In the long term, Collect&Go aims to explore how safe and eco-friendly autonomous transport on public roads can be implemented in urban environments, in collaboration with local and federal authorities.

Dirk Vansina, Leuven’s Alderman for Spatial Planning, adds: “With this pilot project, Leuven is once again taking a concrete step in its mobility policy. We aim to make urban traffic safer and more efficient, with more space for people."

Thomas Van Oppens, Alderman for Digitalisation, adds: “As a smart city, Leuven uses technology purposefully to improve life in the city and contribute to a smarter and more sustainable urban environment. Leuven serves as a laboratory where innovative applications provide solutions to societal challenges.”

Remote operation via Telenet group’s 5G network

With a maximum speed of 25 km/h, safety is the top priority. Multiple cameras monitor the surroundings, and the vehicle is equipped with short- and long-range radar systems capable of measuring distances and detecting obstacles such as cars, cyclists and pedestrians. Local police are also involved along the route.

The vehicle is additionally operated remotely by a control operator. Thanks to a fast, stable and secure 5G connection provided by Telenet group — fully isolated from other data traffic on the mobile network — the operator always has optimal visibility of the traffic situation along the delivery route.

Vanessa Matz, Minister for Digitalisation, states: “In recent years, our country has made significant progress in 5G coverage. Today, nearly 97% of Belgians can access this technology. However, 5G is about much more than fast internet or telephony; it enables new applications such as autonomous unmanned vehicles. To encourage this innovation, the federal government supports pilot projects like this, which can evolve into new use cases and opportunities."

Geert Degezelle, Chief Commercial Officer at Telenet Business and responsible for B2B at Telenet group, explains: “All our customers must be able to rely on secure, high-quality digital services. As a technology partner, we have been accelerating digital progress for 30 years, and this collaboration with Colruyt Group is a concrete example of that."

Telenet Business provides a tailor-made solution for the customer and leverages new capabilities of the 5G network for Colruyt Group, such as network segmentation (network slicing), whereby a portion of the mobile network is reserved for the customer. This enables the creation of a Mobile Private Network: a dedicated, fast and highly secure mobile connectivity solution tailored to the user or application. This ensures stable connection even during peak times and enables real-time exchange of video, sensor data and control signals between the vehicle and the operator.

“By building on our own mobile network, we support the further automation of transport and mobility. With the support of the federal government, we will continue to invest in innovative 5G applications that have a tangible impact on everyday life in Belgium,” concludes Geert Degezelle.

Home delivery in Leuven with an unmanned vehicle and private Drivers

From mid-May, the unmanned vehicle will deliver groceries to customers’ homes in Leuven city centre for a period of three months, always at the lowest prices. It has capacity for two customers’ orders and is secured with a code known only to the customer. After delivery, it returns to the Collect&Go pick-up point in Kessel-Lo, where it is reloaded.

This service complements the existing Collect&Go home delivery via Drivers — private delivery partners from the local area — for which motivated individuals are still being recruited. Customers choosing delivery via the unmanned vehicle pay the same delivery fee as for Drivers: €7. This fee may be waived during promotional campaigns.