Geely Auto delivers new car keys by drone to avoid contact

Car buyers in China can now have their new cars delivered to their front door through a fully contactless sales process that even involves using a drone to hand the keys over.

In February, with China in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Geely Auto launched an online car buying service with a contactless delivery option. This has now been expanded with the introduction of the drone service, which will see the keys delivered to the customer’s door or balcony to further the distance between them and staff.

Geely says the online platform has seen 10,000 vehicles bought since launching on February 10, with more than 100,000 prospective owners registering their interest in buying in the future. The firm says sales are forwarded to local dealers who contact buyers to organise the home delivery service.

Victor Yang, Geely Auto vice president, said: “Geely Auto’s constant change to market requirements and consumer concerns is the driving force behind Geely’s continued success in the Chinese market.”

Like most car manufacturers in China, Geely has been hit hard by coronavirus shutdowns. It sold 21,168 units in February, a decrease of 75 per cent compared with 2019, while its sales of 133,006 units for the first two months of the year was 45 per cent down on the same period last year.

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