Electric vehicles are gradually shaping the future of the automotive industry by introducing emerging technologies into the market. However, this time, Volkswagen China Group has come up with a fascinating and well-established player in the market. It has been reported that the company has finally completed the manufacturing of its first electrical “vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL)” passenger drone. The prototype has been made to accommodate around four passengers along with their luggage for intercity transport purposes. The autonomous electric taxi has been named “Flying Tiger” by the engineers and would be able to cover a distance of up to 200 km.
It is important to note that the design characteristics of the passenger drone emerged in China back in 2020. It was the time when “Volkswagen Group China” was making efforts to find any opportunities for its electric drone project. And for this purpose, the company has launched a “vertical mobility project” that works on the same idea. At last, the company developed its prototype of “Flying Tiger,” but it is also called “V.M.O.” To create a market for electric air taxis, the drone has been designed pretty well and conforms to all the possible requirements.
Coupled with this, the VMO is 11.2 meters long and 10.6 meters wide, equipped with eight rotors for vertical lift and two propellers for horizontal flight. Not only this, but you can also see the helicopter-style skids that have been deployed on this electric air taxi instead of the conventional wheels. For China, the model would be a perfect fit because it consists of 160 cities having a population of 1 million people. The demand for this incredible air taxi is going to be much higher in the near future because it is perfectly designed for VIPs who don’t want to waste their precious time waiting in heavy traffic. They can just take a flight in this air taxi and travel between the roofs of buildings.
However, the air taxi has not been fully qualified to be used commercially as it has to pass some special tests by the end of 2023. According to Dr. Stephan Wöllenstein, who is the CEO of Volkswagen Group China, “The launch of this stunning validation model – the V.MO – is the first of many remarkable milestones on our exciting journey towards urban air travel, and a perfect example of our ‘From China, For China’ mission. Our long-term aim is to industrialize this concept and, like a ‘Flying Tiger’, break new ground in this emerging and fast-evolving new mobility market.”