Traveling around the city in small electric aircraft could soon become a reality. The German company Volocopter, specialized in the production of autonomous aerial vehicles, today started a collaboration with a second level branch of the Geely Holding Group in order to create a joint venture in Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern Chinese province of Sichuan. The joint venture will handle the manufacturing and market operations of Volocopter products in the Chinese market and plans to help promote urban air mobility (UAM) in China over the next three to five years. The new company, called Volocopter (Chengdu) Technology Co., Ltd. or more simply Volocopter Chengdu, has also signed orders with the German company for 150 aircraft,which include both unmanned logistics aircraft and manned aircraft. According to what was announced by the new joint venture, the aircraft and their components will be produced in Hubei Geely Terrafugia, a manufacturing base of Geely in China. Volocopter Chengdu will also participate in the thirteenth edition of the China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition (Airshow China) which will be held on September 28th.
Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter, during a video link said: "Today's date marks another important milestone in our journey to bring affordable electric air mobility to China, the largest market opportunity for the Uam industry ".
The latter term refers to a new mode of urban transport that uses separate electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft to transport people or goods within lower-tier urban and suburban airspace. Uam helps relieve tension on increasingly congested city streets and allows residents and products to reach their destinations faster and safer.
Volocopter is currently the first and only manufacturer of eVTOL aircraft in the world to have obtained design and production approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
