Daimler (Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Smart) has been lately headlines in the automotive field and also in the generalist. It began a couple of months ago with its possible involvement in the Dieselgate network and now its image has been added to the photograph of a scandal of stratospheric dimensions in Germany that at the moment has cost the paralysis of an important project with BMW.
At the same time, the Daimler Group continues its journey towards electrification and the future of mobility and the investment of more than 25 million euros in the German company Volocopter has been announced to make an electric flying taxi a reality.
Mission: conquer the market of flying taxis before anyone else
The German company is dedicated to the development of vertical electric take-off multicopters for the transport of people and goods.
"The ship, safe, silent and respectful with the environment, with capacity to transport two people, will revolutionize mobility in the metropolis," he says. Furthermore, it is certain that the technical platform of the shuttles is "extremely flexible and allows piloting, remote control and totally autonomous flight".
The investment made by Daimler and other investors will help Volocopter develop a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (VTOL) aimed at the taxi market; plans to carry out initial demonstrations in the fourth quarter of 2017 in Dubai. And is that by 2030, Dubai intends to carry out 25% of its passenger transport with the help of autonomous means of transport.
Volocopter's potential competitors include the German Lilium Jet and eVolo start-ups, as well as Terrafugia and Joby Aviation, based in the United States.
Everyone wants to make us fly
But the race to conquer the air is by no means stagnant; we have the flying car of the Dutch company PAL-V, whose first units of the PAL-V Liberty can now be booked (do not expect it to be cheap).
Recently, the Asian giant Geely acquired Terrafugia, specialized in flying cars and whose objective is to materialize a practical flying car that triggers the possibilities of freedom in the displacements. We also have Toyota, which has invested in 'SkyDrive', Lilium with its VTOL, Uber, Google and Airbus with Italdesign.
Whoever wins this race must tie all the ropes that concern safety, airspace and the viability of a transportation system that will be reserved for the elites for the time being.