Walmart’s drone delivery program is expanding nicely. According to the company, shoppers in seven US states – Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia – now have the option. The option is available between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. for $4. For this money, a customer-ordered package weighing up to 10 pounds (4.5 kg) will arrive at the address within a half hour. This delivery limit, by the way, covers the vast majority of items typically purchased for small purchases.
The company is currently working with three different partners to expand its coverage. DroneUp, Flytrex and Zipline offer very different solutions, but generally nothing ends up in the shopper’s back garden. Instead, they land from a higher altitude, either lowered by a winch or using a mini parachute and gravity to land the package, which is of course properly wrapped.
Although the 6,000-plus drone deliveries made last year may be considered minuscule compared to the huge volume of sales Walmart handles, the company still has a significant advantage over its main local rival, Amazon. The latter has been flirting with the use of drones for about a decade, but has only recently made significant steps towards actual implementation.
So far, test deliveries are only taking place in College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California, but Amazon is working to expand the range as soon as possible.
Less carbon emissions
The use of drones has been hampered in recent years not only by the immaturity of the technology, but also by the rigidity of the regulatory environment and even consumer attitudes. In addition to the potential dangers posed by these devices, some members of the public do not appreciate having their peace of mind disturbed by drones buzzing overhead on a regular basis.
However, there are clear benefits for the planet if this innovative logistics solution were to become widespread. For example, a study published last year by Carnegie Mellon researchers found that delivery drones emit 84 percent less greenhouse gases than diesel trucks and about a third less than electric vans that do the same job. Accenture calculates that by 2021, drone deliveries could potentially reduce ecosystem-disrupting carbon emissions by 49 kilotonnes per year.
Recent article
Drones News & Articles
Airbus launches drone production
Flying Cars News & Articles
SkyDrive Japanese flying car to enter commercial service in 2026
Additional aircraft
ARC Aerosystems’ newest aircraft the Linx P9
Drones News & Articles
Expect lots of drones in the future
Propulsion-Fuel
NASA funds development of a new type of nuclear engine
Drones News & Articles
The world’s fastest flying four-rotor drone
Drones News & Articles
The drone market is a good long-term investment
Drones News & Articles
In Romania, a drone is already taking samples from hospitals to the robotic laboratory
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
ZeroAvia’s Dornier with hydrogen-electric propulsion system flies for the first time
EVTOL & VTOL
What growth can we expect in the Evtol market in the coming years ?
Drones News & Articles
Flying drone home delivery is also being tested in Budapest
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How are air traffic control and air navigation services adapting to eVTOL ?
Flying Cars News & Articles
What safety measures would be introduced in flying cars to prevent accidents ?
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
Revolutionising crop production with aircraft
Drones News & Articles
Valkyrie drone placed in the US Air Force National Museum
Drones News & Articles
Black Swan unmanned aircraft can handle transport in Europe
Drones News & Articles
Drone-operated motorway planned in the UK
Air taxi News & Articles
What impact will the development and introduction of air taxis have on the workforce and the labour market ?
Drones News & Articles
Edible wing drone could save people in distress
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Could modernised versions of airships return ?
Additional aircraft News & Articles
Aviation on the verge of a revolution
Drones News & Articles
Chinese drone could stay in the air almost forever
Additional aircraft News & Articles
The world’s first flying motorcycle is about to fly
Drones News & Articles
Walmart’s drones now deliver in seven Member States
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
How are companies and governments working to develop and regulate electric Evtols and what challenges do they face in bringing these vehicles to market ?
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
What developments have been made in the field of electric motors ?
Air taxi News & Articles
Stellantis joins forces with air taxi developer Archer
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Alef A flying car is on sale – taxis could be on the way in three years
Flying Cars News & Articles
The Israeli flying car on AIR
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
The first supersonic aircraft engine to run on sustainable fuel
Drones News & Articles
Drones could help weather forecasting
EVTOL & VTOL
The Volocopter is also expected to be commercialised in 2024
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Joint electrification between Renault and Airbus
Air taxi News & Articles
Air taxis are almost here in everyday transport
Flying Cars News & Articles
Xpeng wants to mass produce its flying car in 2024
Drones News & Articles
The European Commission has unveiled a plan to boost the growth of the drone industry within Europe
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
First drop test with an eVTOL lithium-ion battery
News & Articles Points of interest
Here is the Chinese partially flying car
Electric airplane News & Articles
Safety and operational issues for electric aircraft
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
What are (will be) the challenges of charging air taxis
More articles you may be interested in...
Drones News & Articles
Black Swan unmanned aircraft can handle transport in Europe
Drones News & Articles
Drone-operated motorway planned in the UK
Air taxi News & Articles
What impact will the development and introduction of air taxis have on the workforce and the labour market ?
Drones News & Articles
Edible wing drone could save people in distress
Drones News & Articles
Drones could help weather forecasting
A drone with a wind sensor was used to collect weather data in the Sea.......... READ MORE
EVTOL & VTOL
The Volocopter is also expected to be commercialised in 2024
Volocopter's evtol made its first live flight near Paris in November, and it is hoped.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Propulsion-Fuel
Joint electrification between Renault and Airbus
Renault Group and Airbus have entered into a partnership to develop technology that will speed.......... READ MORE
Air taxi News & Articles
Air taxis are almost here in everyday transport
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recently expanded the list of aircraft and helicopters.......... READ MORE
Flying Cars News & Articles
Xpeng wants to mass produce its flying car in 2024
The founder of the company, Csao Tölinek, expects that mass production of these vehicles could.......... READ MORE
Drones News & Articles
The European Commission has unveiled a plan to boost the growth of the drone industry within Europe
Back at the end of November, the European Commission proposed a strategy to define the.......... READ MORE
EVTOL & VTOL News & Articles
First drop test with an eVTOL lithium-ion battery
Beta Technologies is reportedly the first company to have conducted a drop test to evaluate.......... READ MORE
News & Articles Points of interest
Here is the Chinese partially flying car
Chinese flying car company Aeroht is planning to produce a car that can lift off.......... READ MORE