The Canadian auto-parts maker said on Wednesday it would build thousands of autonomous-delivery robots for Cartken, which operates the small self-driving vehicles in areas like malls, universities, hotels and warehouses. (The Logic)

Talking point: COVID-19 accelerated the demand for deliveries straight from warehouses to consumers’ homes. Cartken’s flagship products are small, boxy sidewalk robots similar to the pink Tiny Mile robots that have been piloted in Toronto. A report published Monday found that similar devices piloted in four U.S. communities had trouble navigating challenges like overgrown trees or broken sidewalks. Magna could bring some manufacturing prowess to improve such devices. Magna executive vice president Matteo Del Sorbo said its “ability to design, engineer and manufacture complete vehicles makes Magna an ideal partner for companies looking to solve last mile delivery challenges.” Cartken said it was “inspired by Magna’s push into new spaces.”