Flying cars used to be something that many envisioned for 2020. While that hasn't happened, there are companies around the world actively developing this type of technology. In fact, it seems that kind of flying transport could be coming soon, at least for Singaporeans.
According to The Business Times, Volocopter is aiming to launch an air taxi service in Singapore by 2023. This vehicle is a VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) vehicle that is autonomous and can carry up to two passengers. On top of that, the German aviation startup claimed that it would be emission-free, which means that it relies entirely on battery power. The machine has nine battery packs inside (for redundancy and extended capacity), but how long the batteries can last has not been disclosed yet.
However, it's interesting to note that Volocopter will assemble a team consisting of 50 pilots, engineers, operation specialists, and business managers before the launch of air taxi service. This indicates that there is a need for actual pilots, perhaps for larger vehicles that fly longer distances or trickier routes. This team will be employed under Volocopter Asia Holding, which will be helmed by Hon Lung Chu.
If this project is successful, Volocopter could extend its services to other major cities in SEA. Of course, whether we can afford such luxuries is another story. Having said that, would you pay for the kind of premium such a service would entail? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave for more tech news.
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