Vehicle manufacturer Ford has partnered with Hermes to pilot a car trunk delivery service at select locations across the UK.
The ‘Secure Delivery to Vehicle’ pilot will enable parcels to be delivered directly to vehicles located at the owner’s home address and is offered free-of-charge to customers with the FordPass app.
As the pilot expands, Ford and Hermes UK hope to increase the number of participants and broaden the project’s scope, such as by offering returns from the vehicle and enabling vehicle deliveries at other locations, for example at the customer’s work address.
When shopping with selected retailers, participants in the pilot will be provided with ‘delivery-to-vehicle’ as the standard option for delivery. Once the delivery driver is within 300m of their destination, the exact location of the customer’s vehicle is displayed on the Hermes app. Within 50m, the driver scans the barcode on the customer’s parcel to create a one-time unlock token for the vehicle. This enables the driver to unlock the boot and deposit the package.
For added security, if the delivery driver fails to lock the vehicle after making the delivery, the vehicle locks automatically within a set time period.
Locating the vehicle and remote unlocking/locking is enabled through permissions granted by the recipient via the FordPass app. If the vehicle is not within 300m of the selected delivery-to-vehicle address, the parcel is delivered to the recipient’s home address. This also applies to parcels that are too large to fit in the vehicle.
Mark Harvey, European enterprise connectivity director, Ford, said, “Together with Hermes, we are looking at more secure and efficient ways to deliver parcels, to match the increasing demands coming from online purchases. Turning the vehicle into a delivery point is extremely convenient for the customer. It puts them in control, to ensure their parcel is where they want it.”
Lynsey Aston, head of product, innovation and onboarding, Hermes UK, added, “We’re committed to exploring innovative delivery methods that provide maximum convenience for our customers, and we’ve been excited to start this trial as we see big potential. This new delivery option sits alongside existing choices such as delivery to home, another address, office or to a Hermes ParcelShop or Locker while supporting ongoing Covid-safe contactless deliveries.”