DoorDash has detailed its upcoming drone delivery program, DoorDash Air, which will launch in northern California. Chipotle and Popeyes are among the first restaurant partners. The drone has six propellers, and DoorDash says its cruising noise at delivery height is similar to that of a passing car, designed to fit the communities where it operates.
According to DoorDash, about 80 percent of restaurant orders on its platform are small and light enough for drone delivery. Based on initial tests, the company estimates average delivery times from restaurant to the consumer's door of under five minutes. Its delivery management system will weigh factors such as ground traffic, weather, and flight times to decide which orders are best sent by air.
The announcements came at DoorDash's Dash Forward event. The company is also letting users text orders through Apple's Messages app instead of using the DoorDash app or website, starting in the US with a waitlist. Businesses will be able to connect DoorDash to internal apps and AI agents for ordering team lunches and restocking supplies. In addition, Macy's, Anthropologie, The North Face, Vans, and Timberland are joining DoorDash Marketplace, and a new Dasher Returns service will handle item returns for a flat $8 fee.