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United Airlines plans to buy up to 500 electric flying taxis
The company also invested $15 million into eVTOL maker Eve Air Mobility.
Microsoft helps speed up work on AI for autonomous drones and flying taxis
Microsoft has unveiled a platform that helps prep autonomous drones and flying taxis for the real world.
NASA starts flight testing with Joby's electric air taxi
NASA is now flight testing Joby's electric air taxi as part of a program meant to improve mobility in the US.
Luminar will bring its LiDAR tech to Airbus planes and helicopters
The companies hope to 'ultimately enable safe, autonomous flight.'
Uber is reportedly 'in advanced talks' to sell its flying taxi division
The company appears to be focusing on safer bets as it seeks profitability.
Volocopter is researching the best air taxis routes in Southeast Asia
Volocopter is preparing for a feasibility study that will determine the best cities and routes for air taxis in Southeast Asia and evaluate different air taxi use cases. This next step is part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) necessary for Volocopter to bring commercial air taxis to the region.
Toyota invests $394 million in flying taxi startup Joby Aviation
Toyota just invested $394 million in the flying taxi startup Joby Aviation. The two companies say they will work together, Joby sharing its all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) expertise and Toyota lending its knowledge of manufacturing, quality and cost controls to the development and production of Joby's future aircraft.
Hyundai and Uber show off their flying taxi concept
Uber's flying taxi initiative is edging closer to reality. The ridesharing giant and Hyundai have unveiled a previously hinted-at flying taxi concept, the S-A1, that could ultimately handle Uber Air trips. It's not a radical break from projects with other partners, but that would still make it a very flexible vehicle. The all-electric aircraft would take off and land vertically, and carry as many as four passengers at cruising speeds of up to 180MPH for trips as far as 60 miles. Although it would have a pilot at first, it would ultimately be fully autonomous.
Lilium proves its electric air taxi can fly
Flying taxi startup Lilium has completed its first phase of flight testing. Its Lilium Jet is now flying at speeds over 100 kilometers per hour. Today, the company shared new flight footage and announced that it has completed its first dedicated manufacturing facility, a 3,000 square-meter space at its Munich, Germany, headquarters.
Hyundai hires a NASA engineer to run its new 'flying car' division
Today, Hyundai threw its hat into the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) ring. The company announced that it's working to develop its own flying vehicles. Hyundai appointed Dr. Jaiwon Shin as head of its new UAM division. Most recently, Shin led NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. At Hyundai, Shin and his team will be tasked with developing the core technologies behind the company's flying vehicles.
Daimler and Geely back Volocopter to help launch its flying taxi service
Flying taxis are one step closer to becoming a reality. Volocopter announced in 2018 that it hopes to have autonomous air taxis in the sky within five years, and one step on the path to achieving that is securing that all-important investment money.
Volocopter proves its air taxi can work with air traffic control
In order for air taxis and delivery drones to succeed, they'll have to play nicely with air traffic control systems. Yesterday, a Volocopter air taxi proved it's ready to do just that. The Volocopter 2X performed a series of tests at the Helsinki international airport, where it demonstrated its ability to integrate with both manned and unmanned air traffic management systems.
Volocopter reveals its first commercial autonomous flying taxi
Just yesterday we said flying taxis may be a reality in the not-too-distant future. Today, Volocopter revealed its first commercial air taxi, the VoloCity. Designed to serve as an on-demand, inner-city vehicle, it can carry two passengers and their hand luggage. It's capable of an estimated range of 35 km (or roughly 22 miles) and an airspeed of 110 km/h (or about 68 mph). This is the fourth-generation eVTOL, or electric take-off and landing aircraft, by the German company, and like models we've seen in the past, the VoloCity has 18 rotors, redundancy in all critical systems and a promise of low noise.
Boeing teams with flying taxi startup Kitty Hawk on 'urban air mobility'
Two of the better-known names in flying taxi development are getting together. Boeing and Kitty Hawk have formed a partnership that will have the two foster "safe urban air mobility." While they're unsurprisingly keeping their exact plans under wraps, the team-up is described as mating Kitty Hawk's innovative side with Boeing's sheer size and experience in the aircraft business.
Paris may offer flying taxis to 2024 Olympics guests
You can be sure that transportation will be a nightmare for many people attending the 2024 Paris Olympics, but technology could make it slightly more bearable. Airbus, Aeroports de Paris and the Paris Transport Authority are exploring the feasibility of using autonomous flying taxis to carry visitors from Charles de Gaulle Airport into the city. When it takes roughly an hour to get into Paris using a bus or train, this could save valuable time that would be better spent finding your hotel and, you know, enjoying the Olympics.
Skai could be the first fuel cell-powered flying taxi
Flying taxi designs are seemingly ubiquitous these days, but a startup is betting that its choice of powerplant could help it stand out. Alaka'i has unveiled Skai, a flying taxi that will run on hydrogen fuel cells (the first of its kind, the company claimed) you normally only see on the ground. The technology will reportedly allow Skai to fly for up to four hours with a 400-mile range, but without an environmental hit or long downtimes -- it can top up in less than 10 minutes. It will also carry up to five people or a maximum payload of 1,000lbs.
Airbus shares a glimpse of its flying taxi interior
Airbus has been working on its Vahana project for years. It's an attempt to create an autonomous passenger drone network that could operate like a flying version of the Waymo's self-driving cars. In January 2018, the company's flying taxi took to the skies for the first time. Now we're getting a glimpse of what the interior might look like. In a blog post, the Airbus Vahana team shared photos of Alpha Two -- its first demonstrator with a finished interior.
Bosch's reworked automotive sensors can help control flying taxis
As companies from Boeing and Uber to Lilium work to develop flying taxis, Bosch wants to make the sensors they'll require more accessible. The company says conventional aerospace technology is too expensive and bulky to use in autonomous flying vehicles. So, today, Bosch announced a plug-and-play sensor box that adapts automotive industry sensors for use in flight.
Avcen Jetpod inventor killed in test flight crash
Here's a sobering reminder of the very real risks that people undertake in the name of science and progress. Michael Robert Dacre, the inventor and test pilot of the Jetpod flying taxi, has died in a crash during testing of his latest prototype. Reports from Malaysia indicate that the twin-engine aircraft went out of control shortly after takeoff before spiraling to the ground. It is unclear where the Jetpod's future lies now, but the original plans of a 2010 release seem extremely unlikely in light of such tragic news. The short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft was intended primarily as a futuristic ferryboat between airports and city centres, and we certainly hope its development continues -- if for no other reason than to honor the vision of its fallen inventor.
Avcen Jetpod T-100 City Flying Taxi says "naught" to highways
No, that's not a scene from The Fifth Element II. What you see here is the Avcen Limited Jetpod T-100 City Flying Taxi, a VQSTOL (Very Quiet Short Take-off and Landing) vehicle that the company says could be in the air by 2010. The idea is that these flying cars would volley people between city centers and outlying areas (like airports) in order to reduce highway traffic. Avcen says that 75 of these in London could relieve road traffic of 37,000 return car trips per day all the while keeping things quiet and requiring only short landing strips made of pavement or grass. For air geeks, specs include dual jet engines with a thrust of 2 x 13.3 kN, a cruising speed of 350 mph, a range of 920 miles, an operating payload of 1,543 lbs, and seating for 7 pax. Bruce Willis pilot not included. [Via The Contaminated]
