Alphabet’s Wing drone delivery startup plans to debut a bigger craft that can carry heavier products.
Wing, along with Zipline, is helping Walmart grow its drone deliveries in Dallas-Fort Worth, so it’s no surprise that the company is upgrading its shares.
Last Monday, Walmart stated 25% of its bigger Supercenter goods violated drone delivery size and weight regulations. Wing’s drones can only hold 2.5-pound cargo, so that’s not unexpected.
Wing told Eltrys its bigger drones can hold “up to 5 pounds in a standard cardboard box.” They await FAA permission.
Additionally, Amazon’s delivery drones can only carry five pounds. The online retailer plans to launch drone deliveries in the U.K. and Italy in 2024.
Wing plans to launch its supersized craft next year.
“It’s always been our vision to implement a multi-modal drone delivery model,” Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said. “We are focused on launching the new plane, and our Aircraft Library design philosophy allows us to test and build new drones based on customer and partner needs,” Woodworth said. The CEO has mentioned increasing Wing’s fleet.
Instead of landing, wing drones drop individual parcels on a wire and place them on the ground. Wing reports 350,000 deliveries across three continents. The company states it has over 1,000 U.S. crafts registered.
