An exciting development in EV Aviation: Volocopter

[footeab@yahoo.com + 2,190]

11 hours ago, Rob Kramer said:

I'm no expert at all on aviation.  But I was assuming the cage for the blades acted as a shroud/ noise deflector and the multi engine made the blade tips smaller and quieter. And if its lighter than a reg heli mabey the blades have more pitch and cross rotation i dono. I assumed there was a reason it was like that.

That lattice work is NOT a duct. It is there to hold the multiple DC motors and to move weight from the central point to where the lift is.  Same reason all civi jet liners today have the engines out on their wings instead on the back of fuselages.  You save structural weight.  Currently there are no high efficiency medium DC motors for a singular installation so save weight in housing, etc.  There are high efficiency small sized motors you can buy for use in a prototype.  Has the added benefit to get over passenger service failure mode regulations.  Which for a startup are more crippling than any engineering, energy density, power transfer hurdle. 

If they were after VTOL efficiency and not low cost, they would have made all those blades contra rotating propellers.  Gains you ~20% in efficiency and drop noise by 15%.  Easy to do with electric with 2 motors where one goes up the shaft of the other.   Why a lot of the RC competition guys doing pattern flying are using them for last 20 years as part of your score is smoothness of flight and part of that is noise.  Get benefit of no p factor, less noise, and more thrust. 

Edited January 21, 2021 by footeab@yahoo.com

[Rasmus Jorgensen + 1,169]

On 1/20/2021 at 12:22 AM, markslawson said:

I have no doubt at all that its technically possible, but they have been talking about those sort of vehicles in city areas for years. As I understand it the problem is noise.. a passenger carrying helicopter, electric or not, is still a noisy thing to have in city areas and you get substantial air drafts. The blades also require a lot of clearance. I don't think these can be used at street level. Using them to drop people on helipads at the top of major buildings is a distinct possibility and already happens to a certain extent. I don't know how much extra market there would be for these. Interesting but I wouldn't get enthusiastic. Using small autonomous drones to deliver parcels, now that's a possibility..  

I actually think that @Dan Warnick is spot on. The very rich in mega cities spend a lot of money on travelling and security. I think that once the concept is proven we will see this take off driven by demand in places we wouldn't expect such as Latin America and Africa where traffic congestion is a serious problem and for the ones with money 

a) a serious secuirty risk

b) already a big expense

[Boat + 1,323]

On 1/19/2021 at 9:08 PM, Dan Warnick said:

Hi Mark.  I appreciate your comments: constructive.

The point with Singapore is that they actively promote their city-state as THE one of the future, and they have backed up that commitment with large scale investments in all areas.

As for noise, I'd wager that 18 small bladed rotors slicing through the air are much quieter than 1-6 full sized helicopter rotor blades.  I'm sure we'll "hear" more about that as the next 2 years goes by.

I agree that these will not be used at street level, except at designated sub-stations.  Perhaps on top of public bus, subway and rail terminals?  Not the stops along the way perhaps , but I could see them on the main terminals.  But again, in the case of Singapore, they are a city of tall apartment buildings where most of the residents live, especially the well-healed.  An elevator ride to the top and you're on your way!  I am sure they have very specific plans for it, but I can imagine "queue-rooms" on the roof with automated check-in/out terminals, probably done by swiping your phone, the same with payments.  Nobody uses cash in Singapore anymore.  At least one of the videos I've posted shows the volocopter landing on an extended landing pad and then being moved inside for passenger loading/unloading (I imagine a track system similar to what a car wash might use).

As for safety, as stated in my OP, they are going to be certified by FAA and EASA, and then they will need to be certified be each country's regulatory authority before they can begin operations.  I believe they will also be required to operate under the Montreal Convention and The Hague Protocol or other Aviation insurance organizations, which will set insurance minimums, usually a Billion $$ policy minimums for aircraft, engines and liabilities these days, and other norms of operations, just like commercial aircraft including helicopters.

My opinion on how many Singapore will allow in their airspace?  I thin a 1/2 dozen in the initial phases for proving.  They will operate in very specific corridors with permission needed to venture outside of them.  If the safety and reliability become proven, I think you could see up to 50 operating around Singapore in the next 5 years (why not, I can guess  ).  Maybe many more.  I believe Singapore aims to be the proving ground for the future of this mode of local transport, and if they are successful it will be one more revenue stream to the government and one more convenience for their citizens and visitors.

I'll leave it with you (where have I read that before?).

A little off air traffic but it sounds like Miami may be interested in large tunnel build to help with traffic. Las Vegas is doing a smaller project as we speak.

[Rob Plant + 2,756]

17 hours ago, Dan Warnick said:

We're talking about getting an EMT to the scene quickly to administer possibly life saving aid.  Ground transport can make its way through the city streets and get there later.  Major city EMTs can already do this on regular helicopters with enough portable equipment that fits in a backpack.  In the following video, you can see that one EMT of regular size can easily fit in the passenger seat and stow a backpack.  Since these types of vehicles are easier to fly than regular helicopters, more EMTs can be trained and licensed to fly them, allowing them to pack more gear into the passenger seat.  Open your mind, @footeab@yahoo.com, what do you have against all this?  I started this thread to discuss the possibilities.  Is that okay with you?

Exactly!!

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

8 hours ago, footeab@yahoo.com said:

Uh, did you BOTHER to read your own link?  Let me quote basic aerodynamics for you...

" While these highly loaded fans (if properly designed) will be more efficient than a free propeller of the same diameter, they typically won’t match the efficiency of a larger free propeller (of much lower disk loading), "

lower disk loading also = quieter as downwash velocity is much lower. 

Normal, non ducted Helo's do not use fixed ducted fans for the simple reason that they limit top speed to less than 60mph as you lose lift.  To get over this hump you have to tilt the duct which massively increases complexity and then you have to tilt past 30 degrees if I remember the paper correctly for why hovercraft for individuals have never surpassed this mark without resorting to wings or a lifting body which adds weight.  If in a very dense city where your top speed never approaches 60mph then a fixed ducted fan can work to slightly increase efficiency or you get identical efficiency by going to longer blades.  Why?  Lose immense amounts of efficiency for every G of acceleration and corresponding frictional loses the air must undergo compared to the airflow the craft is operating in. 

The only thing a duct actually does is slightly decrease noise for sub sonic Mach numbers, or if you are limited by RPM then an increase in efficiency is possible if you cannot slow the RPM down allowing longer blades.  Trade one complexity for another.  Trans sonic and compressibility are an entirely different kettle of fish. 

You'd make such a great, inspirational instructor!  (Warning to students: don't try to discuss things in front of footeab.)

Yes, I did BOTHER to read my own link.  And I found some interesting points worth discussing.  I guess, judging by your tone, that you would prefer I just call Rob an idiot and stop the conversation from going any further.  Thankfully, I'm not such an asshole.

Edited January 21, 2021 by Dan Warnick

[Rob Plant + 2,756]

37 minutes ago, Dan Warnick said:

Yes, I did BOTHER to read my own link.  And I found some interesting points worth discussing.  I guess, judging by your tone, that you would prefer I just call Rob an idiot and stop the conversation from going any further.  Thankfully, I'm not such an asshole.

@Dan Warnick I've been called a lot worse Dan 😂

I prefer to look at the possibilities that can make a real difference to people and the world at large.

Call me a dreamer but I really hope nuclear fusion, graphene batteries etc etc all come to fruition in my life time.

Can you imagine an educated person from 200 years ago in todays society? The advancements mankind has made in that relatively short time is just phenomenal and would truly be mind blowing to that person. If we don't dare to dream and push ourselves then we wont succeed, fortunately most people do.

[footeab@yahoo.com + 2,190]

49 minutes ago, Rob Plant said:

@Dan Warnick I've been called a lot worse Dan 😂

I prefer to look at the possibilities that can make a real difference to people and the world at large.

Call me a dreamer

"I have a dream, that one day, power is free, the 2nd law of thermodynamics is dead, and I live forever..."

Possibilites requires engineering knowledge and working toward a realistic goal.

Dreamers are those who are too damned lazy to set realistic goals as they refuse to put in the time to make said GOAL ... work in reality.

[footeab@yahoo.com + 2,190]

1 hour ago, Dan Warnick said:

You'd make such a great, inspirational instructor!  (Warning to students: don't try to discuss things in front of footeab.)

Yes, I did BOTHER to read my own link.  And I found some interesting points worth discussing.  I guess, judging by your tone, that you would prefer I just call Rob an idiot and stop the conversation from going any further.  Thankfully, I'm not such an asshole.

So sorry, discussing science fields requires one to put in the work to UNDERSTAND said field of science.  Not wasting everyone's time dreaming about unicorn farts

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

Too bad you can't just ignore certain people.  Oh wait....

[Rob Kramer + 696]

11 hours ago, Rob Plant said:

@Dan Warnick I've been called a lot worse Dan 😂

I prefer to look at the possibilities that can make a real difference to people and the world at large.

Call me a dreamer but I really hope nuclear fusion, graphene batteries etc etc all come to fruition in my life time.

Can you imagine an educated person from 200 years ago in todays society? The advancements mankind has made in that relatively short time is just phenomenal and would truly be mind blowing to that person. If we don't dare to dream and push ourselves then we wont succeed, fortunately most people do.

I have watched frozen 2 alot recently because my daughter loves both movies.... Olaf the snowman out of the blue mentions how technology can look like our savior and be our demise... I'm thinking this more and more. Not always and I'd say today's age is great . But we do things like over consume and treat the issue not the root problem way too much . So that person from the past would be blow away - how can they be so right and so wrong so smart and soo dumb . Haha.  

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

4 hours ago, Rob Kramer said:

I have watched frozen 2 alot recently because my daughter loves both movies.... Olaf the snowman out of the blue mentions how technology can look like our savior and be our demise... I'm thinking this more and more. Not always and I'd say today's age is great . But we do things like over consume and treat the issue not the root problem way too much . So that person from the past would be blow away - how can they be so right and so wrong so smart and soo dumb . Haha.  

You can tell us the truth.  Was your daughter really in the room?  Or are those your go-to movies?  LOL!  

[Rob Plant + 2,756]

14 hours ago, footeab@yahoo.com said:

Dreamers are those who are too damned lazy to set realistic goals as they refuse to put in the time to make said GOAL ... work in reality.

No you have to have the dream and understanding of the potential first.

I agree you then have to have the knowledge and the application to make it work.

The great inventors of years gone by had all of these traits.

To summarily dismiss new and interesting ideas as "shit" to use your term shows a lack of awareness to the possibilities of some new technologies.

[Rob Kramer + 696]

11 hours ago, Dan Warnick said:

You can tell us the truth.  Was your daughter really in the room?  Or are those your go-to movies?  LOL!  

Come over and ill sing it to you off memory and you can decide haha

.... oh wait covid let's video call haha 

Edited January 22, 2021 by Rob Kramer

[markslawson + 1,057]

On 1/21/2021 at 8:33 PM, Rasmus Jorgensen said:

I actually think that @Dan Warnick is spot on. The very rich in mega cities spend a lot of money on travelling and security. I think that once the concept is proven we will see this take off driven by demand in places we wouldn't expect such as Latin America and Africa where traffic congestion is a serious problem and for the ones with money 

a) a serious secuirty risk

b) already a big expense

Maybe - I'm not against the idea, as I said, and congestion is certainly a huge problem. Emergency services applications are certainly an immediate use for such vehicles with the downsides not really relevant. People will put up with noise and swishing blades in emergencies. Apart from those situations, as I pointed out, I thought there were certain practical barriers.. maybe less so in dense urban environments where there are plenty of roof tops to use as landing pads. Anyway, if they can make them work then I'm happy to be proved wrong.. 

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

UPDATE - THURSDAY FEBRUARY 11TH 2021

Flying Taxis To Hit The Skies In 2024

By Irina Slav - Feb 11, 2021, 5:00 PM CST

Join Our Community

Remember the grubby flying taxi Bruce Willis drove in "The Fifth Element"? That was a very 90s view of the future. In reality, we may soon be taking up to 60-mile rides in sleek, elegant, and perhaps most importantly, emission-free electric planes.

Media reported this week a California-based startup called Archer was going public through a deal with a special-purpose acquisition company. SPAC deals are becoming increasingly popular, especially in the electric vehicle area, as a much quicker way to raise money on the stock market than traditional initial public offerings.

Archer, which has developed a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), is expected to be worth as much as $3.8 billion after the deal with Atlas Crest Investment Corp. The deal itself is seen to raise $1.1 billion for the company.

And this is not all. United Airlines has already ordered $1 billion worth of eVTOL aircraft, with production set to begin in 2023, after the Federal Aviation Administration certifies the aircraft.

Besides United, investors in the startup include the newly merged Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot Citroen, which now call themselves Stellantis, as well as the UAE's state investment company Mubadala. Investment banker Ken Moelis and several funds are also among the backers of Archer's technology.

Making an electric plane has been a major challenge for a transportation industry that is now urgently seeking to decarbonize under pressure from governments and environmental groups. Air travel is among the biggest emitters, and a recent report from British researchers even went as far as to suggest that people should stop traveling by plane so we could phase off air travel by the middle of the century as a way of reducing our carbon footprint.

Related Video: Four of the Coolest Fictional Power Sources

The main problem is fitting the aircraft with batteries that can keep it in the air long enough without making it too heavy. Small aircraft with a relatively short range appear to be a lot more realistic bet on all-electric technology than airliners, at least for the time being. And the promise is great.

"It's pretty incredible to think how big this market can be," the co-founder and co-chief executive of Archer, Adam Goldstein, said, as quoted by CNBC. "The partnership with United really gives us a chance to get to market first and really helps us accelerate our timeline."

"Part of how United will combat global warming is by embracing emerging technologies that decarbonize air travel," said the chief executive of United, Scott Kirby. "By working with Archer, United is showing the aviation industry that now is the time to embrace cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation. With the right technology, we can curb the impact aircraft have on the planet, but we have to identify the next generation of companies who will make this a reality early and find ways to help them get off the ground."

According to the airline, Archer's aircraft could save 47 percent of emissions per passenger on the commute between Hollywood and LAX—one of the first locations where Archer plans to use its aircraft.

The promise is great, and so is enthusiasm. However, Archer has yet to release a photo of its aircraft in full scale and show footage of it in action, as it were, eVTOL.com has noted. What's more, certification from the FAA may take longer than the company and its backers hope, based on evidence from previous certifications of aircraft with a novel design. Yet electric aircraft's entry into the transport mix seems to be only a matter of time, especially in a world stepping firmly and confidently on the path to lower, if not zero, emissions.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

 

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

 

United Airlines Buys $1 Billion Of Flying Taxis For 2024 Launch 

by Tyler Durden

Tuesday, Feb 16, 2021 - 5:45

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/united-airlines-buys-1-billion-flying-taxis-2024-launch

 

Just as technology has underpinned economic growth for decades, the future of flying electric taxis will revolutionize transportation while transforming urban mobility into a greener, zero-emissions world. 

Archer, a leading Urban Air Mobility startup and developer of all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, has entered into a purchase and collaboration agreement with United Airlines for its battery-powered aircraft.

United placed a $1 billion order for Archer's eVTOL aircraft with an option for an additional $500 million of aircraft. United, along with Mesa Airlines, are preparing to transport customers with Archer's eVTOL zero-emission aircraft by 2024.

 

United CEO Scott Kirby embraces the new aircraft as a way to "decarbonize air travel."

"By working with Archer, United shows the aviation industry that now is the time to embrace a cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation. With the right technology, we can curb the impact aircraft have on the planet, but we have to identify the next generation of companies who will make this a reality early and find ways to help them get off the ground," Kirby said. 

He added, "Archer's eVTOL design, manufacturing model and engineering expertise has the clear potential to change how people commute within major metropolitan cities all over the world."

Archer is scheduled to unveil the eVTOL aircraft this year as it's slated for series production in 2023.

Looking ahead, the eVTOL aircraft could fly customers between Hollywood and Los Angeles International Airport, significantly reducing CO2 emissions by up to 50% per passenger. 

Morgan Stanley Research told clients last month that the eVTOL aircraft industry, transporting people around metro areas, could be a $1.5 trillion market by 2040. 

"The intersection of many technologies, such as ultra-efficient batteries, autonomous systems, and advanced manufacturing processes are spawning a flurry of activity in this space," wrote Adam Jonas, Head of Morgan Stanley's Global Auto and Shared Mobility research team. 

Already, German-based company, Lilium, signed a deal with the city of Orlando, Florida, in November to build the country's first flying taxi hub with flight operations beginning in 2025. 

By the midpart of the decade, some of us will be zipping around in zero-emissions air taxis, bouncing from city to city in minutes, while others will be stuck on the ground in traffic. 

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

Yes, I saw that announced in the industry journals as well.  I will reserve judgement because United Airlines is not Singapore, to say the lest, but I'd guess UAL has some tax write off or subsidy, or both, lined up or they wouldn't take the risk.  I hope I'm wrong, but I've been watching UAL since university, when I did my final project on the dual subjects of UAL (where I dreamed at that time that I would go to work) and the Howard Hughes "Spruce Goose".  

[ronwagn + 6,290]

On 1/21/2021 at 10:11 PM, Rob Kramer said:

I have watched frozen 2 alot recently because my daughter loves both movies.... Olaf the snowman out of the blue mentions how technology can look like our savior and be our demise... I'm thinking this more and more. Not always and I'd say today's age is great . But we do things like over consume and treat the issue not the root problem way too much . So that person from the past would be blow away - how can they be so right and so wrong so smart and soo dumb . Haha.  

The unabomber was a dangerous psychopath but he wrote an interesting manifesto. He saw where society was heading.    https://unabombermanifesto.com/Industrial-Society-and-Its-Future-Theodore-Kaczynski.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy

Edited February 17, 2021 by ronwagn
reference

[Rob Kramer + 696]

9 hours ago, ronwagn said:

The unabomber was a dangerous psychopath but he wrote an interesting manifesto. He saw where society was heading.    https://unabombermanifesto.com/Industrial-Society-and-Its-Future-Theodore-Kaczynski.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy

Ya my dad was telling me about that. I actually found a little article last night that was similar. Saying how there's 2 parts to life the physical and the relational . In the past they lacked the physical luxury but had common community.  Now we lack community but have all the luxurious trinkets to consume. 

[Tom Nolan + 2,443]

Flying Car Stocks Are Going Viral In 2021

By Alex Kimani - Feb 18, 2021, 11:00 AM CST

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Flying-Car-Stocks-Are-Going-Viral-In-2021.html

Flying cars, also known as electric air taxis, have been around us for a long time thanks to sci-fi staples such as "Back to the Future" and "The Jetsons." But with major brands like Boeing (NYSE:BA), Airbus (OTCPK:EADSF), Hyundai and Toyota (NYSE:TM) now promising to whisk riders through the skies in flying taxis and receiving a heady dose of Wall Street endorsement, the dream is increasingly getting closer to reality.

Indeed, many experts are now upbeat that air mobility over short distances is closer to becoming reality than ever before in history, thanks mainly to massive advancements in battery technologies and autonomous flight. And make no mistake about it: Flying taxis have real potential to completely restructure public and private transportation, decongest our roads and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

In fact, a Morgan Stanley Research study says the autonomous urban aircraft market will continue to mature during the current decade and then boom globally to reach $1.5 trillion by 2040.

Sure, flying taxis have no shortage of critics and detractors, including Elon Musk who has dismissed these futuristic flying devices as being little more than giant drones that are 1,000 times bigger and noisier and will "blow away anything that isn't nailed down when they land."

But even Musk himself has admitted to giving serious thought to flying cars after being sold on a futuristic, all-electric, 5-seater jet made by German company Lilium.

Here are some of the notable flying taxi early risers that could soon enter the investment mainstream.

Joby Aviation: Waiting for clearance

Joby Aviation, a California-based startup founded in 2009 and backed by major investors, including Toyota and Intel (NASDAQ:INTL), is regarded as one of the leading companies in the flying taxi space.

Joby caught the attention of many investors after it bought Uber Technologies' (NYSE:UBER) flying taxi division Elevate in December. The company's flying taxi, the Joby S4, has the following specs:

• Vehicle type: Vectored thrust with six tilting propellers
• Capacity: Pilot + four passengers
• Range: 150 miles (240km)
• Speed: 200mph (322km/h)
• Projected Launch Date: 2023

And now Joby has just taken one step closer to becoming a mainstream company.

According to a recent report by the Financial Times, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Zynga (NASDAQ:ZNGA) co-founder Mark Pincus's SPAC Reinvent Technology Partners (NYSE:RTP) is close to inking a deal to merge with Joby in a deal that will value the flying taxi developer at $5.7 billion.

Related: Oil Prices Soar As U.S. Oil Production Plunges 30%

Reinvent Technology is reportedly finalizing financing for the transaction with an agreement expected to be announced this month. A final deal could still fall apart, though, if additional financing isn't secured.

Archer Aviation: Cleared for takeoff

A week ago, urban air mobility startup Archer Aviation agreed Wednesday to go public via a SPAC (special purpose acquisition company) deal with Atlas Crest Investment Corp. (NYSE:ACIC) in a deal that will value the Archer at $3.8B. 

The transaction includes United Airlines (NASDAQ:UAL), Chrysler/Peugeot parent Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) as well as mega-investors Ken Moelis and Marc Lore.

Archer is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or "eVTOL," helicopter-like aircraft that can take off and land without runways. United Airlines has announced plans to buy $1B of Archer's eVTOLs, with an option to purchase another $500M later on in a bid to promote "decarbonization" in its operations. 

Related: Biden’s Energy Plans Threaten Alaska’s Oil Ambitions

ACIC shares have more than doubled since the deal was announced.

Other promising flying taxi companies include:

Volocopter

Based in Bruchsal, Germany, co-founded by the former skateboarding star Alex Zosel and backed by the Chinese car company Geely.

Vehicle type: Volocopter Volocity, an 18-rotor multicopter

Capacity: Pilot + one passenger + hand luggage

Range: 22 miles (35km)

Speed: 68mph (110km/h)

Projected Launch Date: 2022-2023

EHang 

Startup based in Guangzhou, China.

Vehicle type: EHang 216, multicopter with 16 propellers

Capacity: Two passengers, no pilot

Range: 22 miles (35km)

Speed: 81mph (130km/h)

Projected Launch Date: Unknown

Lilium

Munich-based startup with investors, including Chinese internet giant Tencent.

Vehicle type: Lilium Jet, a vectored thrust, with 36 jet engines

Capacity: Pilot + four passengers

Range: 186 miles (300km)

Speed: 186mph (300km/h)

Projected Launch Date: 2025

Wisk

Wisk is a joint venture between Silicon Valley startup Kitty Hawk and Boeing, backed by Google's Larry Page.

Vehicle type: Wisk Cora, a hybrid with fixed wings and 12 rotors

Capacity: Two passengers, no pilot

Range: 25 miles (40km)

Speed: 100mph (160km/h)

Launch: Unknown

Vertical Aerospace

A Bristol-based startup that acquired MGI, the Formula One consultancy led by motorsports veteran Mike Gascoyne, in 2019. 

Vehicle type: Multicopter with 12 propellers

Capacity: Pilot + two passengers

Range: Unknown

Speed: 50mph (80km/h)

Launch: Aiming for a commercial launch in 2023-24.

By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

^ That ^ is a good/great article.  It reminds me that when large corporations devote resources toward a cause or social mantra, even ones that they don't necessarily buy into but feel compelled to participate in due to social/government pressure, they in many cases can't help but make significant developments and advancements.  These come into the realm of possibility sometimes decades after initial activity when new leadership is in place that is very willing to then elevate efforts to convert their investments into revenue generating business units.

Than looks to be what is happening here, and the old arguments against "air taxis" are falling away day by day, month after month, year after year.

[Dan Warnick + 6,100]

New announcement today from Volocopter.  It would appear that confidence is high and getting higher.

Volocopter raises US$240 million

Volocopter, the urban air mobility specialist has announced a successful signing of its Series D funding round, raising an additional US$240 million and taking the total raised to US$390 million. This fresh injection of funds will allow the company to maintain its leading role as an urban air mobility (UAM) company through its VoloCity battery-powered air taxi for cities, enabling it to push for certification and an accelerated launch of its initial commercial routes.

In addition to the VoloCity for autonomous passenger taxi flights, Volocopter intends to invest in the VoloDrone for the transportation of goods and is currently the first and only electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) company to receive Design Organisation Approval (DOA) by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). It expects its first commercial air taxi routes to be operational within the next two years.

“Volocopter is ahead of the curve in the UAM industry, and we have the achievements to prove it,” says Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter. “No other electric air taxi company has publicly performed as many flights in cities around the world, with full regulatory approval, as Volocopter has. Our VoloCity is the fifth generation of Volocopter aircraft and has a strong path to being the first certified electric air taxi for cities. Volocopter already has the extensive partnerships necessary to set up the UAM ecosystem for launching both our company and the industry into commercial operations. We are called the pioneers of UAM for a reason, and we plan to keep that title.”

Volocopter has performed several milestone flights in Helsinki, Stuttgart, Dubai, and over Singapore’s Marina Bay in recent years. While the first routes are yet to be announced, the company has committed to establishing air taxi services in Singapore and Paris, with plans to expand many more routes in the US, Asia, and Europe.