DoorDash says its new drone can get food to you in under five minutes

DoorDash has unveiled a new drone, as part of its DoorDash Air delivery service, promising to deliver food to customers in under five minutes on average. The trial will take place in Northern California in partnership with restaurant chains such as Chipotle and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen. DoorDash has invested in both the drone itself and the infrastructure for pick-up and drop-off, with around 80% of orders estimated to be suitable for drone delivery.

However, the announcement has received mixed reactions, with concerns raised about noise, weather conditions, and the risk of packages being dropped. The drones will not land during delivery, instead depositing the package in front of the customer's door or in their backyard before taking off again. DoorDash's chief for DoorDash Air, Harrison Shih, emphasized that the system has been designed to be unobtrusive for the restaurant businesses involved.

Noise from the drones is expected to be comparable to a passing car at delivery height. This new drone delivery system comes at a time when Amazon's Prime Air service in Richardson, Texas has faced numerous complaints due to the constant buzzing noise created by the drones.