German electric air taxi developer Volocopter has announced the completion of its entire production line in Bruchsal. The company’s own production facilities are set to begin operations this month, with the capacity to produce 50 VoloCity aircraft per year. The announcement coincides with the opening of a new hangar that will be used for the final assembly and development flight tests of the model.
“Right here is where the aircraft that will change how humanity moves about cities will take off and make its way across the world,” said CEO Dirk Hoke. “This region is known for transforming mobility – the bicycle, the car, and soon Volocopter, too. Electric air taxis and Volocopter in particular is a technology made in Germany that will make the world a more sustainable place.”
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Volocopter has held a certificate as a manufacturing company in accordance with EASA guidelines and issued by the German Federal Aviation Authority since 2021. The certification covers the manufacture of carbon fibre parts, all aspects of the electric drive unit and final assembly, as well as extensive end-of-line flight testing.
The VoloCity is the fifth-generation Volocopter and is set to become the company’s first certified electric air taxi for cities. The Bruchsal-based company is also working on a whole family of flying machines, including the VoloRegion and VoloDrone. The critical design review of the VoloCity has now been completed, allowing the aircraft to be produced “with sufficient scope to incorporate further findings from flight testing”.
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Volocopter is the first and only electric air taxi company to hold EASA design organisation approval and production operation approval. The company plans to launch commercial air taxi services in cities such as Singapore, Rome, Neom and Paris in 2024. With its commitment to sustainable mobility and technological innovation, Volocopter is poised to revolutionize the way people move around cities in the coming years.
