Flying taxis may arrive soon

Two companies are conducting advanced tests to reform traffic. Both the jet-powered Lilium Jet and the self-driving Volocopter successfully completed their first full-fledged test flight, making air taxiing just an arm’s length away.

Lilium and Volocopter, which are developing the flying taxi, also conducted tests this week. The former would introduce the commercial air taxi service by 2025, while the latter would introduce the commercial air taxi service within two years.

Lilium swears by jet propulsion

Munich-based tech-startup Lilium has released new footage of its air taxi, in which the epoch-making invention took to the skies in Germany, Mirror writes.

The Lilium Jet is the world’s first five-seater, fully electric, vertical take-off and landing jet. The aircraft is powered by 36 fully electric jet engines, so it has no operating emissions, while in horizontal flight it uses less than 10 percent of the 2,000 horsepower available. Lilium claims that the aircraft can travel at a speed of nearly 100 km / h and can cover a distance of 300 kilometers on a single charge.

One of the most challenging maneuvers in space exploration has been completed

While this was not the debut journey of air taxis, it was the first time the aircraft had shifted from vertical to horizontal, one of the most challenging maneuvers in space exploration.

Lilium completed the test flight shortly after the company completed its first manufacturing facility in Munich, which it hopes will help it achieve its goal of offering commercial air taxi services by 2025. Daniel Wiegand, co-founder and CEO of Lilium, said they are taking tangible, concrete steps to make their vision of regional air mobility a reality and are progressing according to plan for the time being.

A self-driving air taxi is being tested in China

While Lilium is planning a commercial air taxi service by 2025, another company would launch its own program within two years. Volocopter’s drone-like flying taxi was tested in Singapore a few days ago, the Daily Mail reports. Volocopter has already conducted tests in Dubai, Helsinki, Germany and Las Vegas, but the Singapore trial is the company’s first experiment in the heart of a city. The futuristic means of transport flew over the waters of Marina Bay for two and a half minutes.

In Singapore, they will be among the first to use the service, the commercial launch of which is expected in two to four years. Volocopter plans to make air taxis available in all busy Asian cities after the first location.

“Our goal is to introduce it in Jakarta, Manila and Bangkok because they are in great need, as well as in India and China,” said Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter.

The first station has already been completed

Earlier this week, Volocopter unveiled the VoloPort, an air taxi station on the water’s edge in Singapore, which has a passenger terminal in addition to the runway. Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports and a partner at Volocopter, said air taxis will not be marketed as a substitute for public transport, but as a different solution.