Image credit – Ele.me
The concept of using drones to make deliveries isn’t new and it actually makes a lot of sense. Drones don’t have to deal with the same kind of traffic that a motorcycle, car, or delivery truck has to, which means that in theory it should be a lot faster to get items into the hands of customers.
This is why it also makes a lot of sense that drones could potentially be used to deliver food, something that is being tested out in China. Local food delivery company Ele.me has recently been given the green light to begin operating drone deliveries over an industrial zone in Shanghai.
With these 17 newly approved routes, customers who place an order via the company’s platform can expect their food to arrive within 20 minutes of confirming its order. According to Ele.me, the new route will cover an area of 58 square kilometers and are said to benefit more than 100 merchants who are doing business within the Shanghai Jinshan Industrial Park.
In addition to drones being faster, Ele.me estimates that this could save them money as well. This is because with the use of drones, their delivery staff only need to run 15% of the routes, meaning less wear and tear on delivery vehicles, fuel, and time which could be used to make more deliveries.