Amazon’s Delivery Drones Grounded by Arizona’s Summer Heat

Amazon plans to launch delivery drones in Arizona this year, but don’t expect them to deliver a refreshing drink on a hot day. The hexacopter drones cannot operate when temperatures exceed 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius), according to the company. In Tolleson, a city near Phoenix where Amazon aims to offer aerial deliveries within a 7.5-mile radius, daily high temperatures surpass this threshold for three months of the year. Additionally, the drones will be grounded after sunset, so midnight snacks won’t be an option either.

With drones potentially being inoperable for a quarter of the year, launching drone deliveries in Tolleson and nearby desert communities might seem like an unusual choice. This is just one of the challenges Amazon’s long-delayed drone project has encountered. The initiative is years behind its goal of delivering items to customers in under an hour on a regular basis, and the target of 500 million deliveries by 2030 appears distant. Amazon Prime Air has completed only thousands of deliveries, trailing competitors; Alphabet’s Wing has conducted hundreds of thousands of delivery flights, and Walmart has completed more than 20,000.

In Lockeford, a town in California wine country where Amazon first launched drone deliveries, some residents told eNdodrones last year that they only placed orders because Amazon incentivized them with gift cards. In Arizona, the inability to rely on drones during the hottest hours when people prefer to stay indoors could be discouraging.

A blog post last month announced that the Tolleson drone program is “entering into the next stage” because, for the first time, the drones will take off from an existing same-day delivery site. This integration with Amazon’s established delivery network allows customers to choose from a broader selection of items than at previous drone sites, although the items must still weigh less than 5 pounds.

Before Amazon’s drones can begin making deliveries, the company faces several challenges beyond the summer heat. Amazon needs to obtain local permits to renovate its Tolleson warehouse for drone operations. Additionally, the US Federal Aviation Administration must approve Amazon’s operational plans for its new drone model, the MK30, which the company intends to use in Arizona. Finally, Amazon must convince users to agree to have an 80-pound, six-rotor drone fly into their yard and drop a package from several feet up onto a giant QR code mat that identifies the customer’s drop-off point.

The potential for temperature and other environmental conditions to ground or hinder the drone industry has been known for years. A team from the University of Calgary’s geography department estimated that, on average, drones with limitations similar to Amazon’s, including those related to weather and daylight, would be limited to flying about two hours a day globally. In the world’s 100 most populous cities, the average daily flight time would be six hours. “Weather is an important and poorly resolved factor that may affect ambitions to expand drone operations,” the researchers wrote in a 2021 study. Heat, in particular, forces motors to work harder to keep drones aloft, and their batteries have limited power.

Distinct Climate

Amazon initiated virtual meetings with Tolleson officials a year ago to explore the city as a potential site for drone operations. Tolleson’s economic development director signed a nondisclosure agreement in March of last year, prohibiting the city from disclosing details of the discussions, as revealed in documents obtained by eNdodrones through a public records request.

During a recent city council meeting following Amazon’s announcement of its plans, Tolleson Mayor Juan Rodriguez stated that the company selected the West Valley city from among 1,000 options, as documented in the city’s meeting transcript. Representatives from Amazon, present at the meeting, contributed $12,500 to a local nonprofit supporting education and basic aid initiatives and posed for a photo with an oversized check alongside Rodriguez and other local leaders.

Advocates of drone delivery, like Rodriguez, highlight its potential to reduce vehicle traffic, emissions, and accidents. For consumers, the promise of delivery in under an hour appeals to immediate needs or whimsical desires.

Thus far, no organized opposition to the drone plans has arisen in Arizona. However, in communities where Amazon and other drone delivery programs have been tested, residents have expressed concerns about noise pollution and the potential use of drones for surveillance—though operators maintain this isn’t their intent.

As discussed in last month’s council meeting in Tolleson, the potential impact on driving jobs due to automation is also a concern. Initially, Amazon’s project will lead to an increase in its workforce in Tolleson, with additional personnel hired to supervise the four drones that may operate simultaneously, according to a company representative addressing the council. However, as technology advances and regulations evolve, manual oversight may diminish.

The proposed MK30 drone is smaller and lighter than its predecessors, equipped with enhanced sensors and software for navigation through obstacles and dense areas along its predetermined routes. It has a range of approximately 7.5 miles from its base, a top speed of around 65 miles per hour, and can fly up to 400 feet high. Mild rain should not hinder its operation.

Cities where drone deliveries are already established typically experience milder climates. Weather data from Time and Date indicate that summertime daily highs generally stay below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in College Station, Texas, and Lockeford, California. Alphabet’s Wing operates in locations in Australia and Texas with similar climates.

Amazon has expressed intentions to expand to Italy and to resume operations in the UK this year, after scaling back its project there abruptly in 2021. Extreme temperatures are unlikely to pose a prolonged issue in these countries.

Mayor Rodriguez of Tolleson is enthusiastic about the potential of drones and the prospective increase in sales tax revenue from heightened shipments out of his city. “They’re pretty awesome, to be honest with you,” he remarked to fellow council members about the drones, citing his in-depth exploration of the technology on YouTube. It appears Amazon may have at least one eager supporter—weather permitting.