According to Intent Market Research, the Autonomous Last-Mile Delivery Market is expected to grow from USD 0.7 billion in 2023-e to reach USD 5.4 billion in 2030, growing at a CAGR of 25.8%. Increasing Acceptance of Autonomous Delivery Vehicles is Driving the Growth of Autonomous Last Mile Delivery Market
Autonomous last-mile delivery is set to revolutionize the logistics and transportation industry. Technological innovations in autonomous delivery vehicles and increasing investments are driving the autonomous last-mile delivery market growth. Key companies actively invest and partner to establish dominance in the autonomous last-mile delivery sector. Thus, there are significant growth opportunities in the autonomous last-mile delivery market.
Delivery bots are increasingly being adopted owing to the rise in popularity among the public. The delivery bots have been deployed on several university campuses and are increasingly being used for the delivery of food. For instance, in September 2023, Starship Technologies introduced a robot food delivery service at the University of New Orleans (US).
Delivery bots are also being increasingly utilized for the delivery of groceries, packages, and pharmaceuticals. In May 2023, Serve Robotics in partnership with Uber Eats announced to deploy up to 2,000 more autonomous delivery robots and expand to other cities across North America indicated high growth opportunities for delivery bot segment growth.
There has been significant growth in the commercial drone market in recent years owing to the rise in popularity and increasing applications. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as of November 2023, there have been 858,857 drones registered in the US 59% (506,635) of drones were registered for recreational purposes while 41% (352,222) were for commercial applications.
Recent advancements in drones in autonomous flight, composite materials, next-generation batteries, extended flight times, and increasing payload capacities are further driving the demand for autonomous delivery drones. The companies are also investing substantially in autonomous ground delivery vehicles recognizing the market's huge potential. With increasing drone manufacturing and advancement in drone technologies, hardware segment is anticipated to witness significant growth opportunities over the forecast period.
Asia-Pacific has emerged as a strong region owing to the strong growth in economies and a high number of global and local players entering the autonomous last-mile delivery market. In recent years there has been a strong increase in smart city infrastructure spending in the region. The accommodating regulatory changes for the inclusion of autonomous delivery vehicles among key countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea are anticipated to provide significant market share.
For instance, in February 2023, Japan eased traffic laws to allow self-driving delivery robots to help labor shortages and reduce the isolation of its aging population. In November 2023, the South Korean government allowed authorized autonomous robots to drive along the country's sidewalks. Thus, favorable regulatory support is driving the Asia-Pacific market at a significant pace.
The key companies in the autonomous last-mile delivery market are continuously striving to strengthen their portfolio to meet the growing demand. The companies are focused on establishing partnerships with logistics, retail, food & beverage, and healthcare industries. Some of the key companies in the market are Aethon, Alibaba, Amazon, KiwiBot, Matternet, Nuro, Pablo Air, Starship Technologies, Swoop Aero, Wing Aviation, Yiqing Innovation (Unity Drive Innovation), and Zipline