Nearly all Americans view drones as more environmentally friendly than trucks
We recently surveyed Americans to get their perspective on drones and found nearly all (94%) view drones as having a potential positive purpose in the world. One quarter of Americans (24%) say the pandemic impacted their view of drones and robotics, with 50% citing they’ve seen more automation via robotics and drones and 49% have seen more conversations around the possible adoption of robotics and drones.
As the busy holiday season brings evermore package deliveries, and current shipping systems contribute to rising greenhouse gas emissions, consumers are in favor of cleaner air options. Our survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers revealed that two thirds of Americans (67%) view drones as more environmentally friendly than trucks. Another small majority think the adoption of small quantity drone deliveries, as opposed to traditional bulk shopping/delivery, is a good thing for the environment (57%), and the same number of Americans are comfortable with the idea that your common personal home and/or business deliveries will soon be done by drones instead of by cars/trucks.
What’s more, economical concerns this year have caused some major retailers to pass along a “holiday peak fulfillment fee”, signaling a need for smarter, and more efficient solutions for both businesses and consumers’ holiday budgets. Our 2022 “Consumer Attitudes on Drone Delivery” report has uncovered some consensus on disdain for shipping cost hikes, as nearly half of Americans (47%) said they would make a purchase from a specific retailer due to the option of a drone delivery program. Even more (64%) believe drones are becoming an option for home delivery now or will be in the near future.
We work with more than 100 drone manufacturers and our open-source-based applications enable thousands of vehicles—putting our ecosystem in a position to provide a more sustainable approach to the mass of holiday gift delivery schedules.
“Americans are ready for action from the corporate world to reduce emissions and streamline city congestion, and cargo drones will soon become that everyday option to provide direct package delivery during the busy holiday season, or any other time of year” said Lorenz Meier, co-founder and CEO of Auterion.
“The continued use of drones for enterprise services regarding inspections, precision agriculture, mapping, search and rescue and other areas will continue to provide a level of sustainability towards our environmental issues,” Meier continued. “Clean air mobility growth will also contribute to new career opportunities in the transportation industry around the world as companies adjust to more remote work and implement training programs that focus on robotics skills.”
About the Drone Delivery Report Survey
Auterion commissioned a survey from Propeller Insights of 1,022 adults, gender-balanced and distributed across age groups from 18 to 65+, living in rural, suburban and city environments in the United States. Two-thirds of respondents lived in houses, with the remainder living in condos, apartments or townhouses. Propeller Insights is a full-service market research firm based in Los Angeles, using quantitative and qualitative methodologies to measure and analyze marketplace and consumer opinions, extensively across industries. This survey was conducted in May of 2022.