Volocopter Will Start Its Air Taxi Service 'Within Two Years'
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Founded in Bruschal, Germany in 2011, Volocopter looks set to be the company to get flying taxi services off the ground.
The eVTOL (electric vertical take-off and landing) company has just announced, via a press statement, that it has raised €200 million in its Series D funding round. Cumulatively, the company has raised €322 million.
In the same statement, Volocopter explains that it "expects its first commercial air taxi routes to be opened within the next two years."
Volocopter has performed various test flights over the past months and years in Helsinki, Stuttgart, Dubai, and Singapore. Though the first routes are yet to be officially confirmed, the company says it has committed to establishing air taxi services in Singapore and Paris.
It is likely that these will be established first, followed by plans to expand many more routes in the U.S., Asia, and Europe.
Making strides in the air taxi race
At the center of the company's Series D funding announcement is what the company describes as some very "hands-on" partnerships.
"Volocopter is ahead of the curve in the UAM industry, and we have the achievements to prove it," says Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter. "No other electric air taxi company has publicly performed as many flights in cities around the world, with full regulatory approval, as Volocopter has.
"Our VoloCity is the fifth generation of Volocopter aircraft and has a strong path to being the first certified electric air taxi for cities," Reuter continues. "Volocopter already has the extensive partnerships necessary to set up the UAM ecosystem for launching both our company and the industry into commercial operations. We are called the pioneers of UAM for a reason, and we plan to keep that title."
The company is developing two separate flying taxi models, the VoloCity and the VoloDrone.
The 2023 take off date is in line with what Volocopter has said before — they reiterated the same timeframe when announcing a recent agreement with Japan Airlines — though the Series D funding round announcement brings it a step closer to achieving the goal.
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