Pos Malaysia is rolling out the country’s first ever autonomous vehicle as part of its wider ambition to become a digitally enabled, sustainability-driven logistics leader.
The national postal operator will trial the Zelos fully driverless, 100% electric, zero-emission autonomous logistics vehicle for six months in partnership with Autonomous Logistic Solutions Sdn. Bhd (ALS) following the signing of a collaborative agreement between the two companies on January 21.
Speaking at the signing, Charles Brewer, group chief executive officer of Pos Malaysia said, “Today, we are not just launching an autonomous vehicle, we are launching Malaysia into a new era of logistics. This autonomous pioneer is a testament to our commitment to innovation, efficiency, and serving our nation’s future.
“We are immensely proud to lead this transformative journey, and we are energized by the potential it unlocks for our customers and for the entire country. This is the first mile of a very long and exciting road ahead for Pos Malaysia.”
ALS and Pos Malaysia will undertake a six-month proof of concept within Pos Malaysia’s operational environment, serving as a critical first step towards ‘on-road’ adoption, supported by close collaboration with the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) and Futurise to ensure alignment with regulatory, safety and national autonomous vehicle frameworks.
Real-world deployment
According to ALS, the Zelos has been purpose-built for B2B goods transportation, particularly high-volume, repetitive, point-to-point delivery operations. As the exclusive Malaysian partner, ALS is responsible for bringing, localizing, and operationalizing Zelos in Malaysia, unlocking access to the world’s largest and most commercially deployed autonomous logistics platform.
Alan Chong, managing director of ALS, added, “This collaboration with Pos Malaysia moves autonomous logistics beyond trials into live operations. By integrating seamlessly into existing post and parcel workflows, we are demonstrating that Level 4 autonomy is ready for real-world deployment.
“Together with Pos Malaysia, this sets a national precedent for wider industrial adoption and opens a clear pathway for autonomous vehicles to soon operate on Malaysian roads.”
Digital transformation
The initiative is powered by 5G connectivity by ALS’ strategic partner, Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB). Its CEO Datuk Azman Ismail said this collaboration is an important step in Malaysia’s journey to accelerate its digital transformation. “Digital Nasional Berhad is proud to be part of this trial with Pos Malaysia and ALS. As Malaysia’s primary 5G connectivity provider, we are committed to supporting the nation’s development of an autonomous network as part of the country’s AI Nation plans.”