Getting the right replacement part to a technician can sometimes be the difference between returning a customer’s vehicle that afternoon and leaving it sitting on a lift. A Michigan dealership group thinks part of the solution could involve skipping the delivery truck entirely and instead sending the component through the air.
The Detroit Free Press recently watched Jack Demmer Ford in Wayne demonstrate a drone carrying automotive parts between two of the group’s nearby facilities. The initial journey lasted less than two minutes, but it served as a real-world demonstration of a much larger delivery concept.
Right now, employees needing something urgently from the dealership’s parts department might have to cross a busy road or have the item transported by vehicle. That works over short distances, although conventional deliveries become increasingly vulnerable to traffic as the distance grows.
Jack Demmer Automotive Group hopes drones could eventually connect several of its facilities around metro Detroit. The objective isn’t to replace every parts delivery, but to move smaller, urgently needed components quickly enough to reduce service delays and get customers’ vehicles back on the road sooner.
The Drone Can Carry 7.6 Pounds Of Parts
The demonstration took place near Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant on August 25. A battery-powered drone carried a small box containing automotive parts, including oil filters, from Jack Demmer Ford to a parking lot behind the group’s nearby Quick Lane Tire and Auto Center.
The drone itself was supplied by Michigan-based Blueflite and can carry a payload of up to 7.6 pounds, with the complete aircraft weighing approximately 55 pounds when loaded. During the demonstration, it made two trips across Newburgh Road and back.
Flights were autonomous, although the aircraft can also be controlled by a human pilot. The drone paused during its short journey to avoid flying directly above vehicles passing underneath.
Blueflite says its tiltrotor technology is designed to keep the cargo compartment stable during flight. There’s also an integrated parachute intended to provide an additional safety measure if the drone needs to make an emergency landing.
Future Flights Could Cover Much Longer Distances
Flying across the road doesn’t provide a huge time advantage, but Jack Demmer sees the demonstration as the starting point rather than the finished product. The dealership group wants to prove that the system can reliably handle multiple parts deliveries per day.
Eventually, drones could potentially connect other Demmer locations, including its Lincoln dealership in Dearborn. A new 27-bay commercial vehicle facility scheduled to open next year is another possible destination.
That means a lightweight component sitting at one dealership could potentially reach a technician elsewhere without somebody getting into a vehicle, navigating Detroit-area traffic and making the return journey.
Blueflite employees will initially stay on-site because of current licensing requirements, but the longer-term objective is to supervise flights remotely from the company’s headquarters in Brighton.
Michigan Is Putting $740,000 Behind The Project
The experiment is supported by a $740,000 grant through Michigan’s Advanced Air Mobility Activation Fund. The program is part of a state effort to develop advanced air-mobility technologies and establish Michigan as a hub for drone operations and manufacturing.
Detroit-based Airspace Link is another partner, supplying technology used for preflight checks and flight planning. Blueflite is also involved in separate Michigan plans concerning medical deliveries, showing how the same technology could eventually serve industries well beyond automotive dealerships.
Nobody should expect Ford parts to suddenly start buzzing over every dealership tomorrow. This is still very much a proof-of-concept project, and the frequency and scale of initial operations have yet to be established.
However, if the technology proves practical, waiting on a small but essential part could eventually look very different. Instead of hearing that the delivery truck is stuck in traffic, a technician might simply have to wait for it to land.