Source: Upstream News
Source: AFP
German company Volocopter A 18-rotor two-seater flying taxi with a drone-like appearance was tested in Singapore's waterfront on October 22, hoping that such aircraft can change the way of travel in cities with congested traffic.
This aircraft flew in the Marina Bay area for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Although this hover taxi, similar to a small helicopter, can fly autonomously, was equipped with a pilot during the test for safety reasons.
Source: AFP
According to AFP, Volocopter has tested the aircraft in Dubai, Helsinki, and Las Vegas, but the test in Singapore is the first test in the city center. It is reported that Singapore is likely to become one of the first countries to obtain this service and is expected to be put into commercial operations within two years at the earliest. "We think Asia needs this kind of technology most to improve transportation, so we intend to do this business from Singapore," Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, said. He said the company hopes to bring the service to major cities such as Jakarta , Manila and Bangkok, as well as parts of India and China. Volocopter's goal is to reduce traffic congestion, urban pollution and daily commuting time through the electric aircraft . The electric aircraft can shuttle back and forth in the busy city center to realize the air transportation method after the ground and underground.
Source: AFP
According to Volocopter's preliminary vision, the latest 18 rotor electric aircraft can transport two people at a time, covering 35 kilometers (21 miles) per charge and reaching speeds of 100 kilometers per hour (68 miles per hour). The price of traveling by air taxi has not been determined, but Volocopter aims to be slightly higher than taxi fares.
In China, Volocopter plans to cooperate with Geely, which previously raised 50 million euros in a round of financing led by Geely. Geely will also set up a joint venture with Volocopter to mass-produce flying taxis for the Chinese market. Geely is not the only company interested in Volocopter. Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, invested $30 million in 2017, and soon after, Intel announced that it would provide technical support.
Volocopter is also facing competition from many companies. Nowadays, many large enterprises have begun to plan the field of flying cars, including Kitty Hawk, Lilium, Uber, Porsche , etc.
Kitty Hawk is a flight car company invested by Google Larry Page, co-founder of Google (Larry Page), and aviation giant Boeing announced a strategic partnership to develop flying cars. The two companies will cooperate in urban air traffic.
Lilium has recently completed the first phase of the test flight. Lilium has the functions of running vertical takeoff and landing, and now the company's flying taxis can not only hover but also fly horizontally. The VTOL aircraft has allegedly completed more than 100 ground and flight tests, including safety tests, and will next enter the second phase of high-speed performance tests. The Lilium Jet is powered by 36 electric engines, providing 2,000 horsepower, a top speed of 300 kilometers per hour, and a range of 300 kilometers. The flying car can carry five passengers and will achieve zero emissions. The company plans to start commercial services in 2025, with plans to build hundreds of flying taxis each year. It is worth mentioning that in 2017, Lilium received a Series B investment led by Tencent.
As early as June 2017, Uber discussed the form, operation of flying cars, and the supporting and services of infrastructure facilities, and discussed the possibility of launching flight services with VTOL (vertical take-off and landing aircraft). This year, Uber said they will officially launch a flying taxi service in 2023. The "one-click call to speed" service that year was envisioned will become possible.
Porsche and Boeing also signed a letter of intent for cooperation in flight taxi recently and will develop a pure electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle. The design draft has been completed and the prototype is expected to be completed next year.
We are in the early stages of a new mode of transportation that will eventually change the way we see urban modes of transportation.
But to fully put the flying car into operation, the policy is a content that cannot be ignored. This type of flying cars requires review, whether it is license issuance, technical certification, approval from the Aviation and Public Administration, or road test application, which affects the development and promotion rhythm of technology. Even if the R&D is mature, it will take a lot of certification and approval before it can be launched. In addition, if the flight taxi business is fully launched, infrastructure and technical support such as tarmacs also need to keep up.
Although the freedom to "fly" cannot be achieved in a short period of time, the future will inevitably be a trend, let's wait and see.
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