Mexican Media Brands
Daimler Invests in Flying Taxi Startup
German startup Volocopter GmbH says it has received 25 million euros ($30 million) in funding from Daimler AG and other investors to launch the flying electric taxi the company is developing.
Share
German startup Volocopter GmbH says it has received 25 million euros ($30 million) in funding from Daimler AG and other investors to launch the flying electric taxi the company is developing.
Volocopter plans to demonstrate its prototype 2X model later this year in Dubai and launch commercial applications as early as next year. The company is in the process of hiring additional engineers to accelerate development and testing of the vehicle.
The two-seat 2X features a mix of propellers, electric motors, accumulators, 18 rotors, nine batteries and more than 100 microprocessors. Volocopter says the vertical takeoff device can travel 17 miles and has a top airspeed of about 60 mph. The 2X weighs 640 lbs and can carry an additional 350 lbs.
Volocopter aims to tap into Daimler’s expertise in autonomous and electric vehicles. The new investors also includes tech entrepreneur and Delivery Hero board member Lukasz Gadowski, who Volocopter hopes will help it scale up its operations for production.
RELATED CONTENT
-
GM Develops a New Electrical Platform
GM engineers create a better electrical architecture that can handle the ever-increasing needs of vehicle systems
-
On Fuel Cells, Battery Enclosures, and Lucid Air
A skateboard for fuel cells, building a better battery enclosure, what ADAS does, a big engine for boats, the curious case of lean production, what drivers think, and why Lucid is remarkable
-
Robotic Exoskeleton Amplifies Human Strength
The Sarcos Guardian XO Max full-body, all-electric exoskeleton features strength amplification of up to 20 to 1, making 200 pounds—the suit’s upper limit—feel like 10 pounds for the user.
