Futuristic flying-taxi service
A German startup is planning to test its futuristic aircraft for a flying-taxi service in 2018
By Danielle Muoio From Business Insider
A German startup is making serious moves to make futuristic vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft a reality in a commercial setting.
VTOLs are exactly what they sound like: aircraft that can take off vertically without needing a runway. The German startup, E-volo, has been working on its VTOL since 2011. But new competitors have emerged recently including Uber, Airbus, and Zee.Aero, a startup funded by Google cofounder Larry Page.
E-Volo has finalized its multicopter, called the Volocopter 2X, and plans to begin trialing the aircraft in 2018 for a flying-taxi service. Here’s what you need to know:
The electric aircraft is designed to fit two and comes with 18 rotors, allowing it to fly through the air extremely quietly. It can take off and land vertically using a simple joystick.
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The Volocopter 2X can recharge in 40 minutes using a fast charger.
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And it can reach a top speed of 62 mph for a limited amount of time.
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But it’s not a long-range vehicle. The VTOL is powered by nine batteries that allow it to fly for 17 minutes at a cruising speed of 43 mph.
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The VTOL has been approved as an ultralight aircraft in Germany. That means anyone with a sport-pilot license in Germany could fly it when it arrives — early as 2018. E-volo also plans to use the aircraft for a flying-taxi pilot program next year.
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The aircraft comes with sensors that could allow it to fly autonomously in the future, but a pilot will control the VTOL next year.
E-volo hopes to get international approval so the multicopter can one day be flown in Europe and the US.
An earlier prototype of Volocopter’s VTOL aircraft.eVolo
