① The reporter learned from Fengyi Technology, a subsidiary of SF Express, that the company's low-altitude logistics network has covered Shenzhen's Bao'an District, Guangming District, and Longhua District, and is expanding drone logistics routes in Longgang District; ② Industrial chain manufacturers such as complete drones and drone docks are all accelerating their entry into the blue ocean of low-altitude logistics; ③ the expansion of low-altitude logistics networks still needs to solve issues such as airspace management, infrastructure construction, and related standard setting.
Finance Association, May 31 (Reporter Wu Xin) Various signs suggest that low-altitude logistics will first become a “racecourse” for the low-altitude economy. Recently, the 5G-A drone express line built by Nantong Mobile and SF Express completed its first flight in Chongchuan District; DJI, Ehang Intelligence, and A-share listed drones (688297.SH) have also successively launched low-altitude drone products. On the other side, Fengyi Technology, a subsidiary of SF Express, is intensively laying out low-altitude logistics networks in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; Meituan, Zhongtong, and Jingdong are also seizing the market.
Chen Xiaohui, government director of Fengyi Technology, told the Financial Federation reporter, “The company's low-altitude logistics network already covers Bao'an District, Guangming District, and Longhua District of Shenzhen. We are expanding drone logistics routes in Longgang District. It is expected that full coverage of Longgang District will be achieved in the near future.”
The main scenario is “urgent, difficult, dangerous, expensive”
Due to differences in innate advantages, companies such as SF Express and Meituan have different low load operation strategies. Chen Xiaohui told the Financial Federation reporter that currently, Fengyi Technology mainly focuses on “urgent, difficult, dangerous, and expensive”. “Urgent” refers to time-sensitive scenarios, “difficult” refers to scenes where traditional transportation capacity is difficult to reach, “insurance” is topographic risk, and “expensive” targets products with high added value, such as seafood and gold.
“Gold land transportation usually uses a car escort model, and the advantage of drone transportation is that it can save the labor cost of escort.” Chen Xiaohui explained.
A Financial Services Association reporter also learned that currently, Fengyi Technology's main location is centered in Shenzhen, covering the entire Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Relying on Bao'an District, Guangming District, and Longhua District, Fengyi Technology has begun commercialization of “same-city drone delivery”, and citizens can place orders through the Fengyi Mini Program; in addition, Fengyi Technology has opened “cross-city express delivery” logistics routes from Shenzhen to Zhuhai, Zhongshan, and Dongguan, and from Zhanjiang to Haikou, respectively.
Based on its cumulative advantages in the field of takeout delivery, Meituan focuses on takeout delivery by drone, using the “drone+courier” delivery model, and covering “expedited” scenarios such as medical care. The reporter learned from Meituan's official website that by the end of March 2024, Meituan drones had launched 28 routes in 11 business districts in cities such as Shenzhen and Shanghai. The delivery service covered various scenarios such as offices, scenic spots, municipal parks, medical care, and campuses, and had completed more than 250,000 user orders. In October 2023, Meituan Drone and Shenzhen Longhua District People's Hospital announced cooperation to mainly provide services such as drone delivery of test specimens.
However, CFC reporters learned in multiple interviews that the expansion of the low-altitude logistics network still needs to resolve issues such as airspace management, infrastructure construction, and relevant standard formulation. Chen Xiaohui said that managing low-altitude airspace according to traditional navigation thinking is too complicated for an emerging drone logistics operation on a large scale and on a regular basis. “You must first apply for a route and submit your flight plan for the next day before 15:00 every day. Also, an hour before take-off, you need to communicate with the airspace management unit by phone to confirm whether you can take off in the airspace.”
In terms of infrastructure, there is currently a lack of public take-off and landing grounds, air navigation, and surveillance systems. According to reports, Fengyi Technology has now built more than 80 drone take-off and landing sites in Shenzhen. “There is usually no enclosed space to store drones at take-off and landing sites that are easily built on the roof, so we need to build our own containers, but we often run into problems with illegal construction on the roof. In addition, when taking off and landing on the roof of a building, all drones need to use a power exchange mode, and community streets usually use the method of managing electric bicycle batteries to restrain drone batteries.” Chen Xiaohui said.
Industrial chain manufacturers enter the blue ocean of low-altitude logistics
In terms of complete aircraft, Ehang Intelligence, Xiaopeng Huitian, DJI, and China Drones are all developing and launching carrier drones. According to reports, in August 2023, DJI Flycart 30 products with a multi-rotor configuration have a maximum take-off weight of 30kg and a full load range of 16KM.
A DJI drone dealer told the reporter that this product was modified from an agricultural drone. Currently, it is still a small product category for specific channels. It mainly targets special scenarios such as emergency response and scientific research. Compared with other agricultural drones, sales are limited. Furthermore, in regions with strict low-altitude airspace restrictions, such as Beijing, product sales are limited to a certain extent.
A Financial Services Agency reporter learned from the China Drone Securities Department that in the field of carrying drones, the company already has a Pterosaur-2 drone. On April 28, the first flight test of China's large-scale fixed-wing drone cargo logistics was carried out. In addition, China Drones are developing various small and medium-sized drone products of 1 ton or less, and are exploring application scenarios in the early stages.
In addition to complete machines, manufacturers in other parts of the industrial chain are also entering the blue ocean of low-altitude logistics. The “drone+courier” delivery model is expected to bring opportunities to drone connection cabinet companies such as Zhilai Technology (300771.SZ) and New Beiyang (002376.SZ).
Zhilai Technology stated on the investor interactive platform that the company has the technical ability to receive drone packages and has corresponding technical reserves in the field of intelligent storage and delivery. Xinbeiyang, on the other hand, said that the company's drone docking cabinet products and intelligent microprocessor products for connecting robots have not yet been sold, and specific solutions and application scenarios are still in the process of continuous exploration.
In addition, a relevant person from Jiangsu Beiren (688218.SH) told reporters that the company has developed an intelligent wireless charging device for small and medium-sized drones, and “is currently undergoing small-scale testing and will hit the market as soon as possible.”