Amazon unveiled a new delivery drone design on its website Thursday as the company continues to advance its Prime Air service ambitions.
The MK30 drone is set to come into service in 2024. It’s lighter and smaller than the MK27-2, which Amazon plans to use for Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas, deliveries later this year.
“The MK30’s increased range, expanded temperature tolerance, safety-critical features, and new capability to fly in light rain will enable customers to choose drone delivery more often,” according to Amazon.
The MK30 will also have custom-designed propellers to reduce its perceived noise by 25%. The newest drone design will undergo “rigorous evaluation” by authorities such as the Federal Aviation Administration in order to prove its safety and reliability, the company said.
Amazon has spent years developing its drone delivery program in an effort to ferry goods quickly and cost-effectively. Customers in Lockeford and College Station will be among the first to receive Prime Air drone deliveries in the U.S.
“To sustainably deliver a vast selection of items in under an hour, and eventually within 30 minutes, at scale, drones are the most effective path to success,” Amazon said.
Amazon’s continued push to advance its drone technology comes at a challenging time for the company compared to the previous two years of skyrocketing demand. It is weighing changes to unprofitable business units, according to a Wall Street Journal report, in addition to cutting added operational costs and freezing corporate hiring. The company also confirmed last month that it would be ending field tests for its delivery bot Scout.
