DJI Says Mass Adoption of Delivery Drones, Flying Vehicles Still on the Distant Horizon
Listen to the full version
SZ DJI Technology Co. Ltd. said it is unlikely that urban logistics drones and flying passenger vehicles will achieve large-scale commercial operation soon, as the company strikes a cautious note on the application of two of the most hyped segments in China’s low-altitude economy.
The judgement matters because the Chinese government has made the low-altitude economy, a term covering commercial activity in airspace close to the ground, a focus of its industrial policy and investment, while flying car companies are still trying to prove viable business models.
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Save an extra $50. Introductory offer for new readers. Subscribe now.
- RELATED
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
- 2023：
- EHang Holdings Ltd.'s EH216-S received the world's first type certificate for an unmanned passenger eVTOL.
- March 2025：
- Six EH216-S aircraft were approved for commercial services.
- November 2025：
- China International Capital Corp. Ltd. released a report estimating the Chinese market for inspection drones at 4.9 billion yuan.
- By May 2026：
- Formal commercial operations for EHang's EH216-S had not started.
- May 19, 2026：
- Meituan's drone unit began recruiting authorized service providers.
- May 21, 2026：
- Meituan expanded its product lineup with a long-range winch-equipped drone for remote logistics.
- May 22, 2026：
- DJI released a white paper stating that large-scale urban drone logistics and eVTOL services are unlikely to achieve large-scale commercial operation soon.
- As of late May 2026 (Drone World Congress week)：
- Mao Yinian, head of Meituan's drone business, announced that Meituan had completed 900,000 commercial deliveries across six cities.
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新