Volocopter to test electric air taxis in Singapore in 2019

Volocopter will trial its air taxis in Singapore’s urban environments in the second half of 2019. The initiative is expected to lead to public demonstration flights. The company says the eVtols, based on drone technology, can carry two passengers for a distance up to 30 km. These air taxis can manoeuvre safely around skyscrapers to ensure a smooth ride for passengers, Volocopter adds. Volocopter will work with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to establish the scope of the trials
October 22, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
8772 Volocopter will trial its air taxis in Singapore’s urban environments in the second half of 2019. The initiative is expected to lead to public demonstration flights.  


The company says the eVtols, based on drone technology, can carry two passengers for a distance up to 30 km.

These air taxis can manoeuvre safely around skyscrapers to ensure a smooth ride for passengers, Volocopter adds.

Volocopter will work with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) to establish the scope of the trials.  

Ho Yuen Sang, director (aviation industry), CAAS, says the partnership will study the technology’s technical capabilities and develop operational guidelines for the initiative.

Also, Volocopter will establish a product design and engineering team to support its expansion plans. The firm is looking to collaborate with real-estate developers, mobility providers and businesses to implement an air taxi service in Singapore.

Florian Reuter CEO of Volocopter, says: "Volocopter holds a preliminary permit to fly from the German authorities since 2016 and is cooperating with the European Aviation Safety Authority to receive a full commercial license”.

Aside from CAAS, the project is supported by the Ministry of Transport and the government’s Economic Development Board.

In %$Linker: 2 Internal <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 4 34945 0 link-external April false /sections/transmart/news/volocopter-to-launch-air-taxi-infrastructure-for-cities-within-ten-years/ false false%>, Volocopter unveiled its vision for an air taxi infrastructure for cities which it believes could integrate into transportation systems and provide mobility for up to 10,000 passengers per day. The company expects the technology to be available within the next ten years.

UTC

Related Content

  • December 4, 2012
    Associations News from around the world
    The world’s ITS Associations participated in the ITS World Congress in Vienna, including: New Zealand, which stressed the need for future proof ITS solutions; the Netherlands; Australia called for greater ITS content in road safety strategy; ITS South Africa discussed new strategic opportunities in the country; ITS Nigeria took advantage of the World Congress to stage its global launch; UK ITS professionals were congratulated on their achievements during the Olympic Games by ITS UK; ITS Canada co-hosted a w
    Read More
  • January 25, 2019
    Rapidly-changing mobility environment is challenging policymakers, says UK DfT
    Policy makers are working hard to make sense of a rapidly-changing mobility environment, according to a senior official from the UK’s Department for Transport (DfT). Ella Taylor, DfT’s head, future of mobility, Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (C/AV), says the pace of development in transportation modes, such as e-scooters (not currently allowed in the UK) and e-bikes (which are), presents difficulties for governments trying to create standards and laws. “Across the globe, different modes
    Read More
  • December 21, 2018
    USDoT calls for comment on V2X integration
    The US Department of Transportation (USDoT) is seeking public comment on how Vehicle to Everything (V2X) technology should be integrated into the transport environment. The organisation says it intends to maintain the priority use of 5.9Ghz spectrum for transportation safety communications. It points out that the automotive industry and local authorities “are already deploying V2X technology and actively utilising all seven channels of the 5.9 GHz band” and says that technology such as Cellular-V2X (C-V2
    Read More
  • September 3, 2018
    Gig economy drivers and riders at increased risk of collisions, warns UCL
    Self-employed courier or taxi drivers who get their work through apps could be more likely to be involved in a collision, says a new study. The University College London (UCL) research found 63% of ‘gig’ economy respondents – who are not paid a salary - are not provided with safety training about managing risks on the road. The emerging issues for management of occupational road risk in a changing economy: A survey of gig economy drivers, riders and their managers also revealed 65% of drivers did not
    Read More

Highlighted Content