Your next Walmart grocery delivery could come by self-driving vehicle

Brett Molina | USA TODAY

Walmart is testing out grocery deliveries shipped to consumers' homes by self-driving car.

The nation's largest retailer announced Tuesday a pilot program in Houston with autonomous vehicle maker Nuro to deliver groceries in vehicles that don't require a human driver.

The test is part of Walmart's continued expansion in the grocery delivery business. The retailer says they now have grocery deliveries coming from 1,600 of their stores. Earlier this year, Walmart rolled out a $98 unlimited grocery delivery program.

"We’ve been test-driving a number of different options for getting groceries from our stores to our customers’ front doors through self-driving technology," said Tom Ward, senior vice president of digital operations for Walmart U.S., in a statement. "We believe this technology is a natural extension of our Grocery Pickup and Delivery service and our goal of making every day a little easier for customers."

The Nuro is a delivery van resembling a moving toaster and requires consumers to retrieve their groceries directly from the vehicle.

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Walmart is among several businesses fighting for dominance in the rising grocery delivery business. Amazon boasts its own competing service, while Target partners with service Shipt to offer grocery delivery. There's also Instacart, which works with various stores to deliver goods.

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.