Flying taxis are going to become a reality with the longer-range drone being developed by the German-based company Volocopter. Volocopter, which specializes in the design of electric multirotor helicopters in the form of personal air vehicles, designed for air taxi use, is a German aircraft manufacturer based in Bruchsal founded by Alexander Zosel and Stephan Wolf.
The History of Flying taxis
Back in 2011 the company already started the testing of eVTOL, an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft that uses electric power to hover, take off, and land vertically. Since the early days of the testing the company’s farm has already completed more than 1000 tests while creating prototypes with the hope that one day they will be able to provide a flying vehicle to the people which will transport them to their desired location. Now the drone is in such a stage that the company is expecting that VoloConnect should serve passengers in 2026.
Volo Connect
Last month, after 17 months in development, the VoloConnect successfully completed its maiden flight. The aircraft stayed in the air for two minutes and 14 seconds, and it performed several maneuvers. It can fly forward at 40 mph (64 kph) speeds and sideward at speeds of up to 28 mph (45 kph). The range is 60 miles (95 km) with the capability of carrying 4 passengers at a time. The speed of 155MPH (249Kmph) might not sound like much but it offers autonomous commuter flights beyond major urban centers so that one can fly to a business meeting from the suburbs.
The company is now testing the drone taxi in real world conditions to ensure that it gives smooth and experiences with less danger to the customers. It will be interesting to see how eVTOL is being commercialized and is going to become the reason for other companies to think about creating their flying taxis.
