DoorDash plans to launch its own drone delivery service: Report

The food delivery giant is reportedly entering the drone delivery race, joining a growing list of companies betting autonomous aircraft will reshape last-mile logistics.

DoorDash plans to begin operating its own drone delivery network this fall after securing FAA certification to commercially fly drones beyond visual line of sight, expanding its push into automated deliveries, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

The food delivery company said it has already tested the service with restaurant partners, some of which saw higher order volumes during pilot programs, and will unveil additional details at its annual product event in September.

The move strengthens DoorDash’s in-house robotics efforts as it seeks to reduce delivery costs and improve service for longer-distance orders that are harder to assign to human drivers.

While the company will continue working with automation partners including Wing, Flytrex, Waymo, Serve Robotics and Coco Robotics, it said its competitive advantage lies in integrating drone operations with its logistics platform, including routing, inventory management and restaurant pickup systems. DoorDash added that human couriers would still be responsible for most deliveries.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.

The move strengthens DoorDash’s in-house robotics efforts as it seeks to reduce delivery costs and improve service for longer-distance orders that are harder to assign to human drivers.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.