Photo: Volocopter
We’ve heard a lot about eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) design over the past years, but the certification processes, that would eventually lead to commercial-scale production, seemed never-ending. At last, there’s some good news in Europe. One of the top names in the AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) game is kicking off production at its facilities in Germany.
VoloCity is a name that’s worth remembering. It’s gearing up to become the first electric air taxi to enter commercial service in Europe. Volocopter has worked for this for more than ten years, and it’s proud to be the only eVTOL company right now to have obtained a DOA (Design Organization Approval) from EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency).
Volocopter got the green light from EASA for its production process back in 2021, covering everything from the part manufacturing to the end-of-line flight tests. After the approval, it took one year and a half to set everything in place. This week, it was finally ready. The German company officially opened its production facilities in Bruchsal and inaugurated a hangar that will become the final assembly line for the VoloCity.
The facilities are gearing up to go full-speed this month, and someday reach their maximum capacity of more than 50 air taxi units per year.
With production ready to kick off, Volocopter is right on track to meet its ambitious deadline for commercial service. If things go well, the VoloCity will be flying all over the world starting 2024. The manufacturer has already secured numerous partnerships around the globe, from Italy and France to Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
The VoloCity is a two-seat electric air taxi, equipped with 18 rotors and nine rechargeable batteries. It claims to be exceptionally quiet, safe, and adapted for fast turnaround times, thanks to an advanced battery-swapping system.
The Volocopter 2X prototype completed its first crewed test flight last Fall. And it wasn’t a typical eVTOL test flight because it was carried out at a pioneering vertiport in Italy. That’s where the future VoloCity is set to start air taxi operations next year, carrying passengers between the Fiumicino Airport and the center of Rome.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Midnight air taxi is also closer to the finish line. Archer Aviation is the only eVTOL manufacturer that’s backed by an automotive giant – Stellantis. The production facility is currently being built in Covington, Georgia, and it will cover 350,000 square feet (32,500 square meters). Stellantis will help Archer to eventually produce 650 air taxis per year, and even reach a massive scale of 2,300 eVTOLs annually.
The Midnight air taxi is a bit behind the VoloCity certification-wise, which is why it will most likely enter service (with United Airlines) a year later than its German counterpart, in 2025.
Volocopter got the green light from EASA for its production process back in 2021, covering everything from the part manufacturing to the end-of-line flight tests. After the approval, it took one year and a half to set everything in place. This week, it was finally ready. The German company officially opened its production facilities in Bruchsal and inaugurated a hangar that will become the final assembly line for the VoloCity.
The facilities are gearing up to go full-speed this month, and someday reach their maximum capacity of more than 50 air taxi units per year.
With production ready to kick off, Volocopter is right on track to meet its ambitious deadline for commercial service. If things go well, the VoloCity will be flying all over the world starting 2024. The manufacturer has already secured numerous partnerships around the globe, from Italy and France to Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
The VoloCity is a two-seat electric air taxi, equipped with 18 rotors and nine rechargeable batteries. It claims to be exceptionally quiet, safe, and adapted for fast turnaround times, thanks to an advanced battery-swapping system.
The Volocopter 2X prototype completed its first crewed test flight last Fall. And it wasn’t a typical eVTOL test flight because it was carried out at a pioneering vertiport in Italy. That’s where the future VoloCity is set to start air taxi operations next year, carrying passengers between the Fiumicino Airport and the center of Rome.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the Midnight air taxi is also closer to the finish line. Archer Aviation is the only eVTOL manufacturer that’s backed by an automotive giant – Stellantis. The production facility is currently being built in Covington, Georgia, and it will cover 350,000 square feet (32,500 square meters). Stellantis will help Archer to eventually produce 650 air taxis per year, and even reach a massive scale of 2,300 eVTOLs annually.
The Midnight air taxi is a bit behind the VoloCity certification-wise, which is why it will most likely enter service (with United Airlines) a year later than its German counterpart, in 2025.
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