Commentary

Uber To Test Drones To Deliver 'Flying Burgers' In 5 Minutes

Uber wants to expand well beyond its car ride-hailing service.

It’s Uber Eats, which delivers local food from participating restaurants via Uber vehicles, is heading to the air.

The Department of Transportation recently announced its selection of 10 state and local governments to test unmanned aircraft systems drones and the approved sites include San Diego, which is partnering with Uber for flying food delivery.

“Uber isn’t just about cars,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said on stage at the Uber Elevate Summit last week. “Ultimately, Uber and where we want to go is about urban mobility, urban transport and being a solution for the cities in which we operate.”

Companies already have been testing various forms of flown food delivery, such as Domino’s delivering pizza by drone. However, Uber is well positioned to do this at scale.

“We’re the largest food delivery business in the world now,” said Khosrowshahi. “Uber can’t be just about cars, it has to be about mobility. It has to be about transportation. We make big, bold bets, that’s part of the identity of the company. We have to solve problems over the long term for the cities in which we operate. We’ll be working on food delivery.

“A key to solving urban mobility is flying burgers. We need flying burgers.”

The promise of food delivered by Uber Eats is also projected to be rather speedy, at least if by air.

The food delivered would be between five and 30 minutes, said Khosrowshahi.

“Thirty can be if it comes by courier, five minutes if it comes by air,” he said.

Yet another new meaning for fast food.

Next story loading loading..