Flying taxis and hybrid vehicles have been in the spotlight for a few years now, but Dubai has planned to bring these concept vehicles into reality. Dubai’s Road and Transports Authority (RTA) recently announced testing for Autonomous Air Taxis (AAT) by the end of the year. RTA signed a deal with Volocopter, a German-based company, and they will rigorously test the new drone taxi for a period of five years to help with the legislation process.

Dubai Drone Taxis: Volocopter  

The Volocopter that will be tested in Dubai is an autonomous drone taxi; it can carry up to two passengers to a programmable location. These drone taxis are electrically powered, so its nine independent batteries will ensure a “green” flight; it only takes about 40 minutes to charge the batteries. The large Volocopter took redundancy to the next level with their 18 motor design. Volocopter said that the high volume of motors were made to “perfectly cover the necessary rotor surface in a circular manner. In combination, they offer the highest levels of security, performance, and efficiency.”

Even though there are more blades, the Volocopter makes less noise than a helicopter. Up to four motors can stop functioning before the Volocopter needs to land. The drone taxi can fly as fast as 62 mph, and it can stay in the air for up to 30 minutes.

Volocopter Drone Taxi Is Safe

The Volocopter was chosen because of its two people carrying capacity and its redundant motor system. The Volocopter drone taxi is also compliant with international safety and security standards. The drone taxi stands about 7 feet high, and its rotor rim has a diameter of about 24 feet. An emergency parachute will also be included for extra safety. Once opened, the emergency parachute will descend the passengers safely while they are still in the aircraft. Alexander Zosel, co-founder of Volocopter, said, “We are very grateful and proud that the RTA has selected us as their partner after rigorous testing.”

Drone Taxis Are The Future Of Transportation

Drones taxis will revolutionize the way people travel and commute. Not only will emissions decrease, but traveling may be easier and faster. These futuristic concept vehicles will become standardized once they have been proven to be safe in Dubai. This may mean that consumer drones will be more heavily regulated to prioritize drone taxis, but the airspace is still a frontier for revolutionary technology to emerge and develop.