Volocopter's flying air taxi has made its official urban flight debut at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, on September 14.
The German-based urban air mobility provider has a goal of making city transportation safe, quiet, and emission-free by creating "air taxis" and an urban mobility ecosystem according to the company. The flying air-taxi startup received a $30 million investment from Daimler in 2017 and completed a $55.3 million funding round from Geely in 2019, according to The Verge.
The VoloCity, which is set to become Voloctoper's first commercially licensed vehicle, can accommodate two people and hand luggage. It has a range of about 22 miles (35 kilometers), and an airspeed of about 63 mph (110 kmh).
Its 18 motors are powered by nine rechargeable batteries that can be swapped in about five minutes, which can help to minimize downtime. Its makers also claim the vehicle is quiet because the 19 rotors all operate in a "narrow frequency band" that sounds twice as loud as a single rotor.
Volocopter also plans on opening a "VoloPort" in Singapore by the end of the year. VoloPort will function similarly to an airport where passengers can check into their flights and spend time in lounges while waiting to enter the takeoff and landing grounds. There will also be an operations and services center where the air vehicles can be maintained.
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