Amazon testing deliveries to car trunks

Amazon is testing the idea of making deliveries to the trunks of its customers who drive at least one type of automobile. 

German automaker Audi announced this week that it is working with Amazon and DHL Parcel on a new delivery system that would allow drivers of its car brands to accept packages in their trunks in an attempt to eliminate missed home deliveries. 

Audi officials say the car service, which has been dubbed Audi Connect, will revolutionize online shopping. 

{mosads}“With comprehensive connectivity, we are transforming the car into a service device and integrating it even more closely into the everyday lives of our customers,” said Luca de Meo, who is a member of the Audis Board of Management for Sales.  

“Audi connect easy delivery helps save time and offers more convenience and flexibility — advantages that are increasingly important for the target group of a premium brand,” the statement from the company continued. 

Amazon has previously tested the idea of using drones to make faster deliveries, but the company has thus far been thwarted by federal regulators who have proposed rules that would prohibit the unmanned air deliveries. 

The Federal Aviation Administration proposed rules for drones that required them to remain in the line of vision of their operators, which Amazon has said will prevent deliveries with the technology. The FAA has granted the company an exemption to continue testing the flights. 

Audi officials said this week that its new trunk delivery service would similarly improve the online shopping experience. 

Officials with the company said the service will require drivers to provide “temporary authorization for keyless access to the car’s luggage compartment” to accept deliveries. 

“If the Audi owner agrees to the tracking of their automobile for the specific delivery time frame, the DHL driver handling the parcel receives a digital access code for the trunk of the customer’s vehicle,” the auto manufacturer said. “It can be used one time only for a specific period of time and expires as soon as the luggage compartment has been closed again.”