- Jack Demmer Automotive wants to deliver parts with drones across Detroit.
- An initial test flight was recently conducted over a short distance.
- Trucks delivering parts currently face traffic issues that the drones won’t have.
A car dealership group in Wayne, Michigan, has begun testing an autonomous drone delivery program to deliver parts across metro Detroit as part of an effort to reduce service times for its customers. It’s an intriguing idea, and perhaps in the near future, you may spot a drone hovering above you carrying a spare taillight or a new shift knob.
Jack Demmer Automotive Group’s initiative is being supported by a $740,000 Michigan Advanced Air Mobility Activation Fund grant. It will allow the company to deliver high-demand parts within a 12-mile radius of Jack Demmer Ford dealerships.
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The first test flight was conducted on Tuesday, with a drone taking off from the dealership with a small box to a parking lot behind the company’s Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center. Employees at the sites currently need to run between the two locations when parts are needed urgently, or a truck may be used to ferry parts. Obviously, a truck has to deal with traffic, something a drone doesn’t have to worry about.
The test flight was only conducted over a short distance, but Demmer is hopeful it’ll grow to include its other locations, including a Lincoln dealership in Dearborn and a 27-bay commercial vehicle center that it plans to open next year. As part of this week’s test, staff from drone supplier Blueflite were on hand, but in the future they will be able to manage drone deliveries remotely.
Speaking with the Detroit Free Press, Blueflite business development lead Tyler Bruder said the drone has a built-in parachute system for emergencies and is specifically designed to keep the cargo bay steady.
Michigan’s Advanced Air Mobility Activation Fund has been launched to accelerate the development of such technologies in the state and drive economic growth.
“This groundbreaking program allows us to move critical parts faster than ever before, helping reduce repair delays, improve efficiency, and get our customers back on the road sooner,” Jack Demmer Ford Parts manager Mark Hatfield said.
