Your next Uber Eats order could arrive without a car pulling up outside your home. Uber Eats drone delivery is moving closer to everyday life through a new partnership with Zipline, one of the most established names in autonomous delivery.
Uber and Zipline announced the deal earlier this month. The companies say the first deliveries will begin later this year in existing Zipline markets. From there, they plan to expand into dozens of U.S. cities. Their long-term target is huge: 1 million drone deliveries per day by the end of 2029.
That does not mean a drone will show up with your meal tomorrow. The rollout will start in markets where Zipline already operates, including Dallas and Houston, before expanding to additional areas. Zipline already has commercial delivery systems operating in the U.S., which gives this partnership a running start. Here’s how the system works and what you could expect if drone delivery reaches your neighborhood.
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PAPA JOHNS DRONE DELIVERY SKIPS THE PIZZA
The experience should eventually feel much like placing any other Uber Eats order. The companies say eligible Uber Eats customers will have the option to receive their orders through Zipline when the service launches later this year. Today, customers in Zipline’s existing U.S. service areas can download the Zipline app, enter their address and browse available restaurants and stores. Once someone places an order, the business prepares it and loads it into Zipline’s autonomous delivery system.
Zipline handles the flight with its Platform 2 system, also called P2. The electric aircraft can carry up to 8 pounds and has a 10-mile service radius. Zipline says the system can make some 10-mile deliveries in about 10 minutes. Its current fact sheet lists a cruise speed of about 70 mph. When the aircraft reaches the delivery location, it hovers around 300 feet above the ground. A smaller delivery unit descends on a tether, steers toward the selected drop-off spot and gently places the order on the ground.
The delivery unit then returns to the aircraft, and the drone flies back to recharge for its next order. Zipline told CyberGuy that the entire process happens autonomously. So you do not need a drone landing pad next to the house. Zipline can place deliveries in a yard or another approved location while the larger aircraft remains overhead.
According to the joint announcement, Zipline has completed more than 2.7 million commercial deliveries. Its aircraft have flown more than 135 million autonomous commercial miles. Zipline also says it now makes a delivery somewhere in the world every 20 seconds. In the U.S., its P2 home delivery system has already been operating with Walmart and restaurant partners. Zipline’s fact sheet says the service launched in Pea Ridge, Arkansas and more than 20 communities around Dallas-Fort Worth.
The company has been expanding quickly as well. In July, Zipline said the number of businesses offering del
