Some of these latest inventions are evolving way past concept, and technology on the Volocopter has taken urban air mobility to whole new level. This is an electric taxi that shoots straight to the sky.
Volocopter is a German start-up aircraft manufacturer that has been working on its revolutionary 18-rotor electric aircraft. The aircraft is ambitiously setting the standard for air mobility, and the company is ready to accept reservations.
This Helicopter aircraft type is a battery-powered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). The plan is for the first flights to be piloted but as time goes on, the flights will be autonomous. The reservations are only applicable for the year 2023; however, as the official launch only takes place in 2022.
The announcement is yet to be made in terms of where you can book these flights, but test flights have already been conducted in Dubai, Singapore as well at their headquarters in Bruchsal, Germany. Tickets come at a $355 (approximately R5 731) a pop. Reservations can be made at 10% the cost. There are also only 1 000 reservations available for a limited time.
The duration of the flight, according to Volocopter will be about 15 minutes. CEO Florian Reuter stated that, “based on our public test flights and regulatory achievement record, we have paved the way to make the electric flight in cities common in just a few years”. The aircraft, for now, can only carry one passenger and go for about 27km. The Volocopter manufacturer states that the technology is constantly being improved on.
By launch date, it would have evolved beyond its current impressive state.
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