DoorDash announced on Thursday that it will begin testing drone deliveries in the US, starting with a small town in Virginia.
Residents of Christiansburg, Virginia, will now be able to order from Wendy's through their DoorDash app and have it delivered via drone in less than 30 minutes.
(Photo : Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
The drone deliveries will compliment traditional DoorDash dispatches in what Harrison Shih, senior director of DoorDash Labs, said is its commitment to "advancing last-mile logistics by building a multi-modal delivery platform that serves all sides of our marketplace."
At least 23,000 people are expected to benefit from the pilot program. DoorDash plans to expand its drone delivery operations in other US cities sometime later this year.
The project is a continuation of DoorDash's partnership with Alphabet-owned air freight service Wing since it first launched its drone deliveries in Australia in 2022.
(Photo : DoorDash/Wing)
Wing has already completed over 350,000 deliveries across the three countries it is available, according to Wing's head of partnership Cosimo Leipold.
Also Read: Walmart Expands Drone Delivery Across Dallas-Fort Worth
Alphabet Expands Drone Delivery Operations in the US
Alphabet, Google's parent company, has been amping up its drone services in the US in a bid to compete with other delivery services in the "multimodal drone delivery" business.
Just last January, the company unveiled its flagship drone designed to handle payloads up to 2.5 pounds and fly at a speed of up to 65 mph.
Wing has also been expanding its partnership and collaboration with brands for its operations, including new deals with Walgreens, Blue Bell Creameries, Easyvet, and Texas Health, The Verge reported.
Aside from Wing, UPS and Skydio also received approval from the Federal Aviation Agency to start testing long-range drone deliveries in the US sky.
Related Article: Alphabet-Owned Wing Brings Drone Delivery Service to Ireland
Drone Deliveries Expected to Speed Up Next Year
With more companies being greenlit, it is expected that drone deliveries will become more common in the US in the following years as the companies complete their pilot programs and test operations.
The FAA, so far, has not identified any concerns on the surge of drones flying in the skies soon to warrant additional regulations.
