"DoorDash Bets Big on Robots and Drones to Revolutionize Last-Mile Delivery"

DoorDash CEO Tony Xu has described the company's journey toward autonomous delivery as one marked by "lots of pain and suffering," though he expressed optimism that the company is now entering the "first inning of commercial progress." Speaking at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference, Xu detailed the multifaceted approach DoorDash has taken in developing autonomous delivery solutions over the past eight years. This includes in-house development at "DoorDash Labs" and collaborations with third-party partners such as Coco Robotics and Alphabet’s Wing.

Xu emphasized the complexity of building a fully autonomous delivery system, which requires mastery of hardware, software, and delivery logistics. He compared the challenge to learning a new sport with multiple subdomains, noting that few companies are equally skilled in all areas. Despite the difficulties, Xu stated that the long-term investments made by DoorDash have begun to yield tangible results. However, he cautioned that formal commercial operations are not yet in place, with current efforts focused on testing and obtaining necessary regulatory approvals.

In Australia, DoorDash has already initiated drone deliveries through its partnership with Wing, offering customers the option to order food for delivery by drone within 30 minutes. The company is also working toward securing permits for drone deliveries in select U.S. cities, though no specific timeline has been announced. Meanwhile, DoorDash is testing robot deliveries in urban areas such as Los Angeles and Chicago, partnering with Coco Robotics to deploy sidewalk-based delivery units. Internally, the company is refining its own delivery robot technology to support future commercial operations.

The CEO acknowledged that while progress is being made, the path to full commercial deployment remains challenging. For instance, autonomous delivery vehicles occasionally require human intervention, such as when they become stuck or encounter unexpected obstacles. Xu stressed the importance of integrating these technologies into a scalable, efficient delivery network. DoorDash’s approach reflects a broader industry trend of leveraging robotics and artificial intelligence to address the complexities of last-mile delivery, particularly in urban environments where speed and reliability are critical.

The company’s efforts align with similar advancements in the autonomous delivery sector, such as Tesla’s recent deployment of full self-driving technology in Australia. Tesla’s system, known as Full Self-Driving (Supervised), allows for limited autonomous driving under driver supervision. Similarly, DoorDash’s progress indicates a gradual but deliberate transition toward more automated delivery systems. As regulatory frameworks evolve, companies like DoorDash are positioning themselves to capitalize on the potential of autonomous delivery while navigating the technical and operational hurdles that remain.

Source: [1] The artificial intelligence revolution in autonomous delivery (https://www.digital-robots.com/en/news/la-revolucion-de-la-inteligencia-artificial-en-la-entrega-autonoma) [2] Tesla's First Autonomous Vehicle Delivery to Happen on ... (https://www.notateslaapp.com/news/2813/teslas-first-autonomous-vehicle-delivery-to-happen-on-june-28th) [3] DoorDash CEO Tony Xu says path to autonomous ... (https://fortune.com/2025/09/08/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-interview-brainstorm-tech-autonomous-drone-deliveries/) [4] DoorDash starts drone deliveries from Wendy's (https://urgentcomm.com/drones-robots/doordash-starts-drone-deliveries-from-wendy-s) [5] Tesla switches on full self-driving for Australia - but there's ... (https://region.com.au/tesla-switches-on-full-self-driving-for-australia-but-theres-a-catch/900639/)