Top-Level Domain (TLD) is the highest level of domain names in the root zone of the Domain Name System (DNS) of the internet. Drive is one such TLD that has been officially recognized and used in website URLs to help identify the nature of the website, whether it be for personal, commercial, educational, or otherwise entity-specific purposes.
The “.drive” top-level domain (TLD) is considered a Generic Top-Level Domain (gTLD). It is one of many TLDs that are available for general registration without any requirements or restrictions. Upon its initial proposal to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), Google was revealed as the sole applicant for the .drive gTLD.
According to ICANN records, the .drive domain is managed by a company called Charleston Road Registry Inc., which is a subsidiary of Google (ICANN.org, 2022). This means that Google holds the sole rights to sell, manage, distribute, and otherwise administer all .drive domain names.
Domains under the .drive gTLD are used primarily by businesses and individuals in the automotive and transportation industry, although it’s not exclusively limited to these fields. For example, car dealerships, car rental companies, or auto repair services may choose to use a .drive domain to more accurately reflect the nature of their business. However, as of today, there is a limited operational use of this TLD, due to Google’s rather conservative use of the domain.
The implementation of the “.drive” TLD represents the expansion of the Internet namespace, which has been largely limited to a handful of TLDs (.com, .org, .net, .gov, etc.) for a considerable period. In spite of this, both online and physical entities still predominantly use the traditional TLDs due to their familiarity among Internet users and simplification in terms of SEO strategies.
Even though the .drive domain has been publicly available since it was approved by ICANN, adoption of this specific TLD currently remains limited. Internet users are more familiar with .com, .org, .net, etc., so unless those familiar TLDs get saturated or there’s a major shift in digital marketing strategies, domains like .drive might remain in the background for some time.
Therefore, while the “.drive” TLD is available and operational, its implementation and usage are selective and depend upon the business model and marketing strategy of the entity that wishes to use it. Experts suggest continuous monitoring of the evolution of TLDs to take full advantage of potential opportunities.
Sources used: ICANN.org, 2022; Network Solutions, LLC; Verisign, Inc.
