This week’s edition is brought to you by Terawatt – purpose-built charging for autonomous vehicle fleets.
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Spotify, and Substack. Transcripts are also available by clicking on the “transcripts” button in the top right corner of this post on the app/web version. You can also access them from the email version by clicking here.
In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Keller Cliffton, Co-Founder and CEO of Zipline. Keller shares how the company got its early start in Rwanda, the challenges of building an autonomous logistics system, and how meeting patients who relied on the service helped keep the team going. We then explore Zipline’s expansion across healthcare, retail, and food delivery, including its work with Walmart, Chipotle, and Cleveland Clinic.
Keller explains how Zipline’s aircraft, delivery droids, and charging infrastructure work together, how restaurants join the network, and why safety and quiet operation are central to the experience. We discuss its Uber Eats partnership and goal of scaling to a million deliveries a day, how faster and less expensive delivery could change ordering habits, and how a wider delivery radius could help restaurants reach more customers and rethink their locations.
Finally, we look at how drones fit alongside human couriers and other delivery options, Zipline’s U.S. expansion plans, and the manufacturing and operational challenges of scaling. Keller explains how working with the FAA differs from the regulatory landscape for robotaxis and shares his vision for infrastructure that reduces traffic and pollution while giving more space back to people.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to Keller Cliffton
(02:16) Zipline’s origins and its first deployments
(03:24) What kept Keller going through Zipline’s early challenges
(05:32) Zipline’s current footprint across healthcare, retail, and food delivery
(07:40) How Walmart and restaurant partnerships are driving U.S. growth
(09:50) Balancing delivery volume, margins, and different use cases
(10:39) How the Zipline experience works from ordering to arrival
(13:14) How charging sites serve retailers and restaurants
(15:39) How Zipline’s aircraft and delivery droid work together
(17:34) Addressing noise, safety, and community concerns
(19:59) How restaurants load orders for automated pickup
(21:25) Zipline’s Uber Eats partnership and the goal of a million deliveries a day
(24:42) What matters most: delivery speed, cost, predictability, or safety?
(26:58) How a 10-mile delivery radius expands customer reach
(28:04) How drones fit alongside human couriers and sidewalk robots
(30:42) How drone delivery could reshape restaurant locations and operations
(33:47) Zipline’s expansion plans and what it takes to launch in new cities
(35:50) How FAA regulation shapes Zipline’s nationwide rollout
(38:24) Keller’s vision for the future of delivery and infrastructure
(40:48) Conclusion and final thoughts
Designing Charging Hubs for Autonomous Fleets
We are excited to partner with Terawatt this week, one of the leading charging infrastructure providers. To learn more about Terawatt’s nationwide real estate portfolio and track record of cutting cost per mile for AV fleet operators, reach out to Peter Cohen at peter@terawattinfrastructure.com
Notes/Links:
-Harry
