Skip to main content

Catch up, Amazon! 7-Eleven says it has already made 77 drone deliveries in the U.S.

Amazon’s recent debut delivery by drone sure won it some attention, but there’s another company quietly working toward the same goal of a full-fledged service on U.S. soil.

Drone specialist Flirtey revealed this week it’s making some progress toward realizing its ambition, recently helping 7-Eleven to make not one, not even two, but a whopping 77 drone deliveries to paying customers in Reno, Nevada.

Recommended Videos

Flirtey has been involved in a number of similar projects around the world for a few years now, including delivering textbooks to students in Australia and pizza to Domino’s customers in New Zealand.

7-Eleven’s deliveries all took place in November – before Amazon’s U.K.-based effort – with Flirtey’s drone flying to select customers ordering goods using a specially designed shopping app.

Besides allowing them to place orders, the app also kept shoppers up to speed about the progress of their order, sending out notifications when the drone left the store and when it was about to arrive at their home.

The six-rotor drone, which carried items such as hot and cold food and over-the-counter medicines, lowered the boxed order to the ground via a tether once it reached its destination. Once the shopper had their goods, the drone returned to base.

“The drones were flown autonomously within line of sight, within a mile of the store,” Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeny told Digital Trends. “There was a Flirtey operator in the loop to take over if ever needed, but it wasn’t necessary.”

Sweeny noted that Flirtey secured all the required authorizations for the operation, and that all customer orders were placed on-demand – not predetermined – and sent out within minutes. On average, orders took less than 10 minutes to deliver.

Flirtey’s latest collaboration is yet another step toward the day when drones become an integral part of delivery services. However, regulatory hoops and hurdles mean plenty of acrobatics are still required to make it a reality. Flying autonomous drones out of the line of sight of the operator and over built-up locations are the two major obstacles currently facing the likes of Amazon and Flirtey, though as the technology continues to advance, so too will the chances of a fully developed drone delivery service one day taking to the skies.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more