City Delivery by Magna

About the Pilot

Magna has launched a pilot in Toronto to test its purpose-built lightweight, electric autonomous delivery vehicles on city streets. With approval from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation through their Automated Vehicle Pilot Program and in conjunction with multiple stakeholders, including Transport Canada and the City of Toronto, the pilot will begin in a designated deployment area in late May 2025. A map of the approved deployment area is below (colour and annotations refer to City wards, map provided by City of Toronto). The vehicles will operate at low speeds and under the continuous oversight of trained human supervisors—both on the ground in a chase vehicle and remotely. A successful pilot was previously completed during 2022-2023 without a safety incident near Detroit, Michigan.

Magna’s autonomous delivery vehicles are designed to be safe, and to interact normally with other cars and vulnerable road users, in the same manner as a human-driven car would. This pilot follows extensive testing of these delivery vehicles in on-road and off-road environments.

Pilot Summary

Who: This pilot is being run by a division of Magna International, a Canadian mobility technology company headquartered in Aurora, Ontario

What: The Province of Ontario approved the deployment, on a pilot basis, of up to two on-road autonomous delivery vehicles and chase vehicles as part of a retail goods delivery service, with growing operations incrementally as approved by the Province in conjunction with other interested stakeholders

Where: See a map of the approved pilot area

When: May 26, 2025 through December 2025 (and beyond, pending extension of pilot program)

Why: Reduce delivery cost, increase road safety for vulnerable road users, and reduce CO2 emissions

Map highlighting various areas in the Greater Toronto Area

FAQs

What is the Magna City Delivery Toronto Pilot?

This pilot is a real-world test of small, autonomous delivery vehicles operating at low speeds on public roads in a designated area of Toronto. The goal is to evaluate how these vehicles can safely support last-mile deliveries while coexisting with urban infrastructure and pedestrians. A successful pilot was previously completed during 2022-2023 without a safety incident near Detroit, Michigan.

When and where is the pilot taking place?

The pilot begins in late May 2025 in a specific, geofenced area of west-central Toronto (see map above). The selected zone was chosen based on safety, accessibility and to align to the key directions and goals of City of Toronto’s Vision Zero Plan, Automated Vehicles Tactical Plan, and Freight Goods Movement Strategy.

Are these vehicles safe to operate on public roads?

Yes. The delivery vehicles are designed with a multi-layered safety system, including:

  • Operation at low speeds (32 kph max) on low speed roads only
  • Lightweight design (~225 kg curb weight)
  • Multiple sensors, including radar and lidar, and multiple advanced algorithms for detecting road users, with an emphasis on vulnerable road user safety
  • Real-time monitoring by trained human supervisors both remotely and on the ground in a chase vehicle, aided by automated monitoring tools
  • Avoidance of operation on high-speed roads, bicycle lanes and sidewalks
Will the delivery vehicles be fully autonomous?

The vehicles are equipped with a Level 4 Automated Driving System (ADS) and will operate without a driver or occupant. However, every vehicle is supervised by:

  • A remote operator in Toronto with visibility and intervention capability
  • A safety chase supervisor in a nearby support vehicle
  • This ensures layered human oversight at all times
What kind of deliveries are being made?

The pilot supports small-package deliveries such as food, groceries, and retail items, as well as general operation of the vehicles for advertising purposes. Delivery partners are coordinating directly with customers, and the vehicles are not available for public use or personal orders at this time. The vehicles will not move dangerous goods, controlled goods, substances or valuables.

How does the vehicle avoid obstacles or pedestrians?

The vehicle uses a comprehensive sensor suite including cameras, radars, and lidar, together with multiple advanced algorithms to detect and respond to pedestrians, cyclists, pets, varied other vulnerable road users, cars, trucks and other road users. It is programmed to slow down or stop as needed and has built-in redundancies for added safety.

What happens if something goes wrong?

If the vehicle encounters an unexpected situation or loses connectivity, it is designed to safely stop and wait for instructions. The nearby safety chase supervisor or remote operator will intervene at any time to guide the vehicle out of traffic or bring it to a safe location. There are several layers of intervention to minimize the likelihood of an incident, and, if an incident does occur, to minimize the likelihood of traffic congestion or other issues. Magna is in consistent contact with, and will work closely with, regulators and first responders.

What data is collected? Is my personal data for sale?

Each delivery vehicle has multiple sensors, which currently include cameras, radars and a lidar. While functioning to safely operate and navigate the delivery vehicles, certain sensors will collect data from the vehicle’s nearby surroundings, and this will incidentally include personal information such as images of people and vehicle license plates. Magna does not share this personal information with third parties and does not sell this information.

Data is stored securely by Magna in Toronto and managed in compliance with Canadian privacy laws under Magna’s privacy framework. For more information, see the Privacy Statement or Privacy Notice below.

What if I see one of the vehicles and have a question or concern?

Each delivery vehicle is clearly marked and includes signage and a QR code linking to this page. For additional questions or feedback, please contact the Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation or City of Toronto at the contact information below, or email us at citydeliverybymagna@magna.com

Contacts

Public inquiries can be directed to:
citydeliverybymagna@magna.com

City of Toronto:
automatedvehicles@toronto.ca

Ontario Ministry of Transportation:
AVPilot@ontario.ca

City delivery bot parked on a street

Privacy Information

Media Kit

Person putting a bag into a delivery bot