After a recent series of successful tests of its 2X prototype, Germany's Volocopter is now in talks with officials in major cities to get public trials of its planned flying taxi service off the ground (pun intended).
And one of the leading cities is Singapore, Volocopter co-founder Alexander Zosel told Reuters in an interview published on Monday.
Volocopter VoloCity
He said the company is looking at two potential routes: one between Singapore's international airport and central business district, and another between the tourist hot spots of Marina Bay and Sentosa Island. He also revealed that the price for a flight would be similar to what you'd have to pay for a ride in a limousine.
Beyond Singapore, Volocopter is also looking at Dubai and sites in Germany. Sites in China are also a possibility given Chinese automaker Geely's stake in the company. Geely owns 10 percent of Volocopter, which is equal to the stakes owned by Daimler and Intel. Interestingly, Geely also owns American flying car startup Terrafugia.
Volocopter prototype demonstration at Daimler's headquarters
Volocopter isn't planning for its vehicles to drive on public roads like Terrafugia, at least not yet. Instead, Volocopter's vision is to offer short trips between key hubs in some of the world's busiest cities, cutting trips that may take an hour or more with a car down to just a few minutes. A system to swap a fully charged battery at each of the hubs will also help to speed up turnaround times.
Volocopter's 2X prototype is a multicopter with 18 rotors powered by electric motors. Capable of vertical take-off and landing, the 2X is designed to fit two adults but has very limited space for storage. It also has a short range. We're talking a range of 17 miles and a top speed of 62 mph. Volocopter has also shown a more advanced design capable of 22 miles of range and a top speed of 68 mph.
Volocopter prototype demonstration at Daimler's headquarters
The 2X is able to fly itself on pre-determined routes but any fully autonomous commercial service is still 5-10 years away, Zosel told Reuters in his interview. He also revealed that the company has conducted over 1,000 flights, including both with human pilots and in autonomous mode.
The news comes just days after Hyundai announced a new air mobility division led by a NASA veteran of 30 years. Other automakers in the flying taxi race include Audi and Toyota.
