DJI discusses low-altitude economy: drone logistics and eVTOL passenger transport cannot be scaled up in the short term

[Caixin] Drone logistics and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) carrying passengers are considered the two most promising directions in the low-altitude economy, but drone giant DJI remains cautious about their short-term commercialization prospects.

The company released the "White Paper on the Development of Low-Altitude Economy Infrastructure" (hereinafter referred to as the "White Paper") on May 22, which points out that the large-scale deployment of urban logistics drones faces three major bottlenecks: irregular air route approval mechanisms, no standard solutions for the "last 100 meters" at the end of delivery, and relatively high costs per delivery.

Specifically, currently, operating companies must coordinate with air traffic control departments to open any logistics route, requiring separate planning and approval. The expansion speed of routes is far slower than that of ground delivery networks. Additionally, due to noise and safety restrictions, drones can usually only land on rooftops or designated stations. How to deliver packages from the landing point to consumers remains lacking mature, unified solutions. Cost issues are also prominent; whether the cost per delivery by drones can be lower than traditional rider delivery has not yet been validated in most scenarios.