Photo credit: www.cnbc.com
A drone operator loads a Walmart package into Zipline’s P1 fixed-wing drone for delivery to a customer’s home in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, on March 30, 2023.
Zipline, the innovative startup recognized for its capability to deliver a wide array of items—from vaccines to ice cream—has recently introduced its services in the Dallas area through a collaboration with Walmart.
Residents in Mesquite, Texas, situated approximately 15 miles east of Dallas, can enroll to receive their orders within a swift 30-minute window, utilizing Zipline’s latest unmanned aerial vehicle, the P2 Zip.
These new drones have the capability to transport up to eight pounds of cargo over a 10-mile distance and can deliver packages with pinpoint precision to landing spots as small as a table or doorstep. Ranked 21st on CNBC’s 2024 Disruptor 50 list, Zipline is set to further its reach within the greater Dallas area.
According to Walmart, the retailer has successfully conducted over 120,000 drone deliveries to homes since launching this service with Zipline and other partners in 2021. Walmart highlighted that its extensive network of 4,600 stores—which are located within a 10-mile radius of 90% of the U.S. population—positions it effectively for executing large-scale drone deliveries.
Keller Rinaudo Cliffton, CEO and co-founder of Zipline, described the P2 Zips as having “dinner plate-level” accuracy. These drones feature lift and cruise propellers, along with a fixed wing that allows for quiet operation even in adverse weather conditions, including rain or winds reaching up to 45 miles per hour.
During a delivery, the P2 Zip hovers approximately 300 feet above ground, deploying a mini-aircraft known as the delivery zip. This container descends via a long tether and maneuvers into position using fan-like thrusters before gently landing for package retrieval.
Both the P2 Zip and the delivery zip incorporate cameras, various sensors, and advanced Nvidia chips to monitor their surroundings and navigate around obstacles during deliveries.
As of March 2025, Zipline announced it had achieved a significant milestone, with more than 100 million autonomous flight miles logged—a distance equivalent to circling the globe over 4,000 times or completing 200 trips to the moon, according to the company’s video celebrating the achievement.
Since its inception in 2016, Zipline has accomplished around 1.5 million deliveries, greatly outpacing its competitors in terms of volume. In contrast, Wing, also focused on residential deliveries, has reported over 450,000 deliveries since its start in 2012.
Although initially concentrating on healthcare logistics—delivering essential medical supplies to clinics and hospitals in regions with challenging infrastructure—Zipline has diversified its services. Now, deliveries are made across multiple countries, including Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Japan, and the United States. The company, currently valued at approximately $4.2 billion following a financing round in 2023, has extended its operations beyond healthcare, partnering with various retailers and restaurants.
In addition to Walmart, Zipline’s customer base includes popular quick-service restaurants such as Sweetgreen and Chipotle, as well as major hospital systems like Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic.
Zipline’s launch in Mesquite comes in a climate of economic uncertainty, marked by recent announcements of broad tariffs that have unsettled markets and raised worries about increased costs and a potential decline in consumer spending. However, Rinaudo Cliffton expressed confidence that these economic challenges would not significantly hinder Zipline’s operations, noting that their drones are manufactured and tested in the United States, specifically in South San Francisco.
WATCH: Zipline releases drone for rapid home delivery
Source
www.cnbc.com