People in dozens of cities across the United States are now able to get their Amazon orders delivered to a parked car, provided their vehicle has the proper technology. With a few taps on a smartphone screen, the courier can unlock the car and drop the box inside the trunk or on the back seat.
The new service, started Tuesday, is aimed at anyone who doesn’t want to risk having their package swiped from their front porch or who can’t receive an Amazon order at work, perhaps because an employer doesn’t allow it or because the company mailroom is not secure.
On Monday, the company showed how it worked: An Amazon driver fetched a box from the back of a van and headed toward her delivery destination — the trunk of an empty Volvo sedan in a parking lot. After she hit a couple of buttons on an app, the trunk was unlocked and the package went inside, then was locked in the car, where — had this not been a staged demonstration — it would have waited for its owner.
To reduce package theft in other places, Amazon has installed lockers outside stores where customers can pick up orders. And last year, it introduced Amazon Key, which lets its couriers unlock customers’ front doors and drop packages inside.
The new in-car delivery service, which will be available in 37 cities and surrounding areas, is a variation of Amazon Key.
For in-car delivery to work, customers must have a 2015 or later Chevrolet, Buick, GMC or Cadillac vehicle with an active account with OnStar, the roadside assistance and navigation service from General Motors. Car owners with 2015 or newer Volvos with a similar service, On Call, can also receive in-car deliveries from Amazon.
Couriers can use those assistance services to find the cars through satellite location-tracking and unlock the trunk.