Mercedes and Siroop Launch Urban Drone Delivery Trial in Zurich
Mercedes-Benz and Swiss retailer Siroop are testing drone-assisted parcel deliveries in Zurich, using Vito vans as mobile drone landing platforms for city-wide e-commerce orders.
Mercedes-Benz Vans and Swiss online retailer Siroop have begun a live trial of drone-assisted parcel deliveries in Zurich, using the Mercedes Vito as a mobile landing platform for drones. The project, running from 25 September to 13 October 2017, aims to test the integration of drones into urban delivery networks, with American drone manufacturer Matternet providing the aircraft.
Unlike previous concepts where drones would deliver parcels directly to a customer’s home, the Zurich trial operates with drones flying from the Siroop warehouse to pre-arranged locations in the city. There, the drone lands on the roof of a waiting Mercedes Vito van. The van’s driver then completes the delivery to the customer, while the drone returns to base for another parcel. This approach is designed to combine the speed of aerial delivery with the flexibility of van distribution in dense urban areas.
How the system works
Customers participating in the trial can order selected items from Siroop’s online shop. After the order is packed at the warehouse, a Matternet M2 drone is loaded with the parcel. The drone then autonomously navigates to one of several designated city points, where a Mercedes Vito van is stationed. The drone lands on a specially equipped platform on the van’s roof, and the driver takes charge of the parcel for final delivery. The drone immediately returns to the warehouse for its next job.
The trial operates for seven hours each weekday, with two Vito vans in service. Mercedes-Benz describes the project as the first extensive use of beyond-line-of-sight drone operations with vans as landing platforms in a major urban area. The company is using the pilot to assess the feasibility of integrating drones into commercial delivery fleets, building on earlier Vision Van concept work.
Implications for urban delivery
For Mercedes-Benz, the Zurich pilot provides data on how drones and vans might work together in real-world conditions. If successful, the approach could help reduce delivery times for certain goods and ease congestion by optimising the last-mile segment of urban logistics. For Siroop, the partnership offers a chance to test customer acceptance of drone-assisted deliveries and refine the technology for future commercial use.
The project also highlights a shift towards multi-modal delivery solutions, as manufacturers and retailers explore ways to combine autonomous and conventional transport for e-commerce. While the Zurich trial is limited in scope, its results could inform future deployments in other cities or larger-scale operations.
For more on the Vito’s evolution and its use in specialist roles, see2015 Mercedes Benz Vito Teased.
