More self-driving food delivery robots roll into Jersey City

Coco Robotics is a robot delivery company based in California. - PROVIDED BY COCO

Kimberly Redmond//January 26, 2026//

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The basics:

Coco Robotics rolls out 20 AI-powered delivery robots in Jersey City‘s Heights neighborhood
City-supported pilot focuses on last-mile food delivery for local restaurants, merchants
Autonomous deliveries could begin as early as this week after sidewalk mapping is complete
Jersey City continues to emerge as testing ground for robot-powered delivery technology

Another fleet of self-driving food delivery robots is hitting the streets of Jersey City.

As part of a city-supported pilot, California-based Coco Robotics is deploying 20 artificial intelligence-powered robots in The Heights neighborhood.

Currently, the technology is mapping sidewalks to ensure safe and reliable navigation before autonomous deliveries begin, according to Coco Vice President and Head of Government Relations Carl Hansen.

After that process is complete, Coco will begin partnering with local restaurants and merchants to support nearby deliveries, he said.

According to Coco, customers who place to-go orders from those participating businesses will have the option to have their food arrive via robot if their delivery address is within a certain radius. It is not immediately clear how large of a zone the robots will cover in The Heights.

Safe and efficient

“We expect local restaurants and merchants to begin offering deliveries through Coco as early as this week,” Hansen said. “More broadly, Coco already works with thousands of restaurant partners across the cities we serve – including Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Helsinki – ranging from independent local businesses to national brands like Shake Shack and White Castle.”

Through the trial program, the five-year-old company hopes “to demonstrate how autonomous delivery can operate safely and efficiently in bustling neighborhoods while also gathering feedback from the community to guide further expansion.”

With over 500,000 zero-emissions deliveries completed across major U.S. and international cities, Coco considers itself “the world’s largest urban robot delivery platform.”

Besides helping businesses scale operations and improve delivery speed, Coco seeks to lower environmental impact and ease congestion in the cities it serves.

Walkable neighborhoods like those throughout Jersey City are exactly where autonomous delivery makes the most sense.
— Zach Rash, co-founder and CEO, Coco Robotics

Coco co-founder and CEO Zach Rash shared, “Walkable neighborhoods like those throughout Jersey City are exactly where autonomous delivery makes the most sense.”

“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 neighbor-hoods,” Rash explained.

Let’s get rolling

Outgoing Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop has also expressed enthusiasm over bringing the technology to the city. In a statement, the now president and CEO of nonprofit Partnership for New York City emphasized the broader opportunity presented by the pilot initiative.

“Autonomous delivery is a natural evolution of how cities can support local businesses,” said Fulop. “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.”