Unmanned Delivery Vehicles Move Towards Large-Scale Application, Over 6,000 Units Deployed by End of Last Year

With no driver, yet capable of accurately avoiding obstacles in complex road conditions; requiring no rest, enabling round-the-clock uninterrupted delivery—compact and agile unmanned delivery vehicles have entered daily life. Shuttling through urban streets or serving remote villages, they are becoming an emerging force in the express logistics supply chain.

Data shows that by the end of last year, over 6,000 unmanned delivery vehicles had been deployed for large-scale application, delivering hundreds of millions of orders for users in more than 100 segmented scenarios. Why have unmanned delivery vehicles been able to enter service in batches? What issues still need resolving to accelerate their move towards large-scale application? Recently, a reporter conducted visits at the frontline of the industry.

Remote unlocking, quick unloading, one-click start—after a series of skilled operations by station staff, the unmanned vehicle smoothly embarked on its return journey. After six months of localized testing, the Yunxi outlet has now deployed six unmanned vehicles, covering over 50 surrounding communities and handling over ten thousand deliveries per day.

Here, new equipment is being used for delivery; there, new capacity is boosting collection. During the Yangshan peach picking season in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, more than 20 SF Express unmanned delivery vehicles shuttled through orchards and fields, moving between collection points along set routes. "These vehicles use a cloud platform for high-precision positioning, traveling accurately between collection points and outlets," said Li Yiwen, head of SF Express's Wuxi Transfer Center.

As intelligent technology deeply integrates with modern logistics, unmanned delivery vehicles are finding more applications in both urban and rural economic cycles.

In Shunyi District, Beijing, Meituan's unmanned vehicles have introduced a combined delivery model of couriers plus unmanned vehicles. After a user places an order, unmanned vehicles first transport batch orders to transfer points, then couriers complete the "last hundred meters" of door-to-door delivery. In Hefei City, Anhui Province, when a large chain snack brand store submits a restocking request, Cainiao's unmanned delivery vehicles can autonomously complete the restocking task from the warehouse to the store.