Geely has come up with a unique way to deliver new vehicles to customers in China with no human contact.
The parent company of Volvo is using drones to drop off keys at a customer’s door or balcony, “furthering the distance between staff and consumer,” Geely said in a statement. The vehicle itself still has to be physically hauled to the customer by truck.
Geely began offering no-contact deliveries as part of a new online sales system in February, as the coronavirus outbreak was spreading quickly across China. It said 10,000 consumers have ordered and paid for a vehicle through the online platform, though it’s unclear how many opted for a drone to deliver the keys.
The company said all of its vehicles are ionized and thoroughly disinfected before delivery. It has created a RMB 370 million ($52.3 million) fund to focus on developing vehicles with cleaner cabin air and that use antimicrobial materials.
The Geely Icon, launched in February, is its first mass-produced vehicle with antibacterial filters.