Volocopter aims to bring eVTOL to France by 2024

Several companies are breaking new ground in the realm of urban air mobility, but Germany's Volocopter has become a two-time pioneer, completing both its first manned and first remote-controlled air taxi flights in France.
The flights were run as part of a week-long trial forming a feasibility study into how air taxis will operate in the country. The firm and its partners, Groupe ADP and RATP Group hope to see commercial flights within three years.

Read more: China's AutoFlight to bring eVTOL to Europe "by 2025"

Volocopter’s full-scale testing prototype, the 2X, completed flight tests Pontoise airfield in Paris to test noise emissions on March 21. The data will be used by the companies to shape eVTOL's future in France.

If all goes well, the public launch of the company's air taxis could coincide with the 2024 Paris Olympics, which will likely see a huge tourism spike to a city that is already the second-most visited in Europe.

Volocoptor CCO Christain Bauer said the new tests prove the firm is continuing to pioneer eVTOL, bringing it a step closer to commercial viability.

"By flying our aircraft in a crewed configuration at a Paris airport, we are proving to one of our launch cities firsthand that our aircraft will offer a practical addition for potential airport-to-city routes," he added.

On average 19 million people visit the City of Love per year, which means it could be at the core of a new public transport boom.

Electric verticle-take off and landing (eVTOL) is likely to be the future of public transport. These aircraft produce no emissions, do not congest roads and run routes more efficiently, and there are currently many major initiatives to bring this tech into the real world.

According to Reuters, Paris is among the most congested cities in the world. The rise of eVTOL could see the equivalent of thousands of cars removed from the streets each day, reducing both congestion and air pollution from the mix.

This is unlikely to make too much of a dent in the traditional taxi industry, but it could diversify the options available to the public.

Volocopter conducted its first flight in France back in June 2021. The flight was unmanned, which means the test was likely conducted to test the viability of flight, potential noise pollution, and emissions.

Flying in an airfield is also far safer than conducting urban tests immediately, although it is likely the next step of feasibility will be to perform tests in population centres.

Volocopter has been doing test flights since its first successful flight back in Autumn 2019.

Read more: Volocopter air taxi makes successful test flight

eVTOL as an industry is still in its early stages and targets to make it viable before the mid-decade could be seen as ambitious.

However, as the energy transition comes into full swing, it may prove a useful technology for helping decarbonise both the transport and aerospace industries.