Specialized delivery company wants to test a Chaparral C1 drone to transport about 200 kilos of cargo from one warehouse to another.

According to Exame Magazine, FedEx has partnered with Elroy Air to use autonomous cargo planes to transport goods between two locations.

The project calls for the use of Elroy Air's VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drones to carry orders between distribution centers without the need for a human pilot or crew. The aim is to speed up delivery times.

The Chaparral C1 drone was introduced in January, has a hybrid motorization, a range of up to 480 kilometers and the ability to carry up to 225 kilograms of weight, with 12 electric motors and 12 thrusters.

To compensate for the disadvantage of the relatively short cargo capacity, the Chaparral C1 has the strong argument of not needing dedicated infrastructure, such as an airport or a freight station.

According to Engadget, which cites the FedEx press release, the use of this vehicle and others of its kind will help the company achieve its goal of carbon neutrality by 2040.

The partnership between the two companies has been going on for two years, and FedEx and Elroy Air are working to get the necessary safety approvals to be able to conduct the first test flights as early as 2023.