Volocopter's Flying Taxi Secures Production Organization Approval As Commercialization Nears
Volocopter's Flying Taxi Secures Production Organization Approval As Commercialization Nears
BY TYLER DURDEN SUNDAY, JUL 11, 2021 - 06:00 PM
eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) air taxis are
emerging as a revolutionary means of transportation across metro areas. Though
no urban air mobility service exists at the moment, plenty of startups have
touted their future air taxi designs and or test flights.
One company that could be way ahead of the competition is closer
than ever to commercialization.
German aircraft manufacturer Volocopter GmbH announced Tuesday
that it had received Production Organization Approval (POA) with the European
Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Notably, Volocopter was the first eVTOL
company to obtain Design Organizations Approvals (DOA) in 2019.
Volocopter also announced it had acquired German manufacturer of
sailplanes DG Flugzeugbau for production of the new eVTOL. This means with a
DOA and POA, the future towards a commercial launch could be in a few
years.
"Our
ten-year partnership with DG Flugzeugbau has been an extraordinary learning
experience. Having this legendary industry leader on our side to kick-start
scalable and affordable UAM [urban air mobility] for people and cargo has been
a game-changer. Today marks an exciting milestone as we unify DG Flugzeugbau's
leadership in aviation production with Volocopter's pioneering UAM goals to
establish yet another crucial stepping-stone for our collective global
endeavors," said Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter.
As populations increase and metro areas become larger, urban air
mobility services using eVTOLs could be the solution to decrease congested
highways. Urban air mobility is faster and cleaner than traditional
ground-based vehicles.
Volocopter's certifications with EASA are recognized across
global markets and positions it to launch future services in Europe, Asia, and
North America.
Volocopter recently unveiled its new winged eVTOL that can
cruise around 110 mph, with a range of about 60 miles, and carry a payload of
660 to 880 pounds.
Volocopter's
first passenger flight may happen in the second half of 2023 in
Singapore.
By 2024, United Airlines is preparing to
launch an eVTOL service of its own.
Comments
Post a Comment