Jack Demmer Ford moved its drone pilot into live runs, delivering small parts across a 12-mile metro Detroit radius.
blueflite provides a tiltrotor drone that can fly autonomously or piloted and includes a parachute.
Michigan's Advanced Air Mobility grant gave $740,000, with Jack Demmer adding $117,500.
Jack Demmer Ford's parts counter in Wayne, Michigan, now has an aircraft on call. The dealership group has moved its drone delivery pilot out of test mode and into live commercial runs, ferrying oil filters and other small parts across metro Detroit instead of routing them through traffic.
Jack Demmer Automotive Group built the network with drone firms blueflite and Airspace Link, backed by a $740,000 grant from Michigan's Advanced Air Mobility Activation Fund. The goal is simple: get a part to a technician faster than a driver stuck at a red light.
