Amazon.com Inc. (Nasdaq: AMZN) is testing drone deliveries in California and Texas, according to an executive.
After the company earlier this year teased upcoming air drone delivery service in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas — two relatively small towns — Vice President of Amazon Prime Air David Carbon announced in a recent LinkedIn post that deliveries are literally flying off the shelves in Texas and California.
The self-flying drones can evade objects such as chimneys and other aircraft while flying up to 50 mph and carrying packages that weigh as much as 5 pounds, according to PC Magazine. When the drone gets to its location, it's supposed to hover over the ground and release the package at a safe distance.
"If, when it gets to its delivery location, your dog runs underneath the drone, we won’t deliver the package,” Calsee Hendrickson, who leads product and program management for the Prime Air drone program, told CNBC in a November interview.
Amazon has been developing its drone delivery service for almost a decade, and the e-commerce giant is set to launch its latest aircraft design — with improved durability and a range beyond the current nine miles — in 2024.
In addition to faster delivery times, drones in the air could allow Amazon to partly bypass the costs associated with running a growing fleet of trucks, which are susceptible to fluctuating expenses such as gasoline.
