Driverless delivery shot in arm for logistics sector

SF Holding's driverless delivery vehicle dispatches packages at a residential complex in Xiong'an New Area, Hebei province, in January. WANG XIAO/XINHUA Chinese technology companies are ramping up efforts to adopt drones and driverless delivery vehicles in logistics and delivery activities, as part of a broader push to boost logistics efficiency, reduce logistics costs and improve user experience in the fiercely competitive marketplace. As of the end of December, the company's drone delivery services had landed in office areas, commercial districts, scenic spots and residential communities in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and Shanghai, fulfilling more than 220,000 orders. Dada Group, a Chinese on-demand delivery and retail platform, has expanded its unmanned delivery network in collaboration with JD Logistics, the logistics arm of JD, and White Rhino, an autonomous delivery vehicle developer. Its autonomous delivery open system has been adopted by Seven Fresh, JD's supermarket chain, Yonghui Supermarket and Walmart's Sam's Club, as the company aims to normalize the scalable use of unmanned delivery vehicles in carrying out on-demand delivery services.