The VoloConnect is a taxi drone that will revolutionize air transport within a few years. This week the first step was taken.
We are one step closer to introducing flying taxis into society. The German company Volocopter has made a first successful test flight with the transport of the future. These are the first steps, but the results are promising.
VoloConnect, the flying taxi drone
During the first test flights the drone was able to achieve a forward speed of almost 65 kilometers per hour. Sideways a speed of more than 45 km/h was achieved. In any case, this allowed the company to test real conditions. No matter how good you design a drone, it must ultimately be able to perform in the real world.
The VTOL construction has thus been proven to work with the first three test flights of a few minutes each. VTOL, or vertical take-off and landing, means that the drone takes off and lands vertically. This saves the need for a runway.
Taxiing through the air in a few years
With the tests, Volocopter has taken the necessary first steps to finally be able to actually use VoloConnect. The drone in question is an incredibly advanced piece of technology in many ways. It flies on electricity and has (so far in theory) a range of almost 100 kilometers.
The top speed is also promising: 250 kilometers per hour. That means: a trip from Amsterdam to Eindhoven within half an hour!
Volocopter aims to deploy the first VoloConntext taxidrones in 2026 in busy urban areas. At the same time, the company is developing other air taxis with, for example, a short range for short trips for fewer people.