Is drone delivery cheaper than a van?

Per flight, yes. Zipline's CEO says a flight costs about $1 at scale; McKinsey puts a van delivery at $9 to $11. In Texas Zipline charges $0.99 plus a service fee capped at $6. The catch: a drone carries 1 to 4 kilos, a van carries 300 parcels. So the drone is cheaper per urgent order and useless for the weekly shop. Watch the money, not the press releases: Zipline raised $600 million in January 2026 at a $7.6 billion value. Investors are paying for the 30-minute delivery, not for replacing UPS. That is the slice I count: $15 billion of $150 billion in 2030.