 | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace,Advanced Air Mobility |
| Founded | 2011; 14 years ago (2011)[1] |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , Germany |
Key people |
|
| Products | ElectricVTOL aircraft |
| Website | www |
Volocopter GmbH (formerly calledE-Volo GmbH) is a Germanaircraft manufacturer based inBruchsal (nearKarlsruhe) and founded by Alexander Zosel and Stephan Wolf. The company specializes in the design ofelectricmultirotorhelicopters in the form ofpersonal air vehicles, designed forair taxi use.[3][2] The CEO is Dirk Hoke and chairman Stefan Klocke.[2]
The company flew the Volocopter VC1 andVolocopter VC2 technology demonstrators, followed by the two-seatVolocopter VC200 prototype. The VC1 was first flown on 21 October 2011.[3][2]
The two-seat project that became theVolocopter 2X started in 2013, evolved from early single-seatVolocopter VC2 prototype flown in 2011. The two seat prototype was designated as the VC-200 and the derived production model the 2X.[4][5]
An on-line fundraising effort in 2013 on theSeedmatch website raised€500,000 in 2 hours and 35 minutes, setting a new European Union record. The money was used to build the VC200 prototype.[6]
The aircraft entered serial production in April 2018 and will be built under contract by the German sailplane manufacturerDG Flugzeugbau.[7][8]
On 9 September 2019,Geely, which is also the parent company ofVolvo Cars,Terrafugia andLotus Cars, led a round of funding that raised $55 million in private investments for Volocopter.[9] In September 2020, Volocopter started flying pre-sales promotional trips for Volocity, the company's prospective electric air taxi service.[10]
On 21 October 2019, Volocopter unveiled its "world first air taxi airport", and the company also demonstrated the use of its VoloCity eVTOL aircraft around theMarina Bay vicinity of southernSingapore. The company also conducted a feasibility survey with Singaporean mega ride-hailing companyGrab. The demonstration was well-received and supported by the Singapore government. The company worked closely together with various government authorities likeMoT,CAAS andEDB to allow test flights for their 'air taxi' service in the area and to fly its first proposed flight route toSentosa. The demonstration also shed light to promote greater public visibility on the new transportation service to come in the next few years. There was extensive media coverage of the flight testing and the demonstrator vertical airport thatSkyports built in collaboration with Volocopter within the Marina Bay area in Singapore, and attracted many people to witness the test flight even though the weather was a little gloomy then. The eVTOL prototype airport is called the "Voloport". After the demonstration, the prototype was dismantled, and moved for redeployment at subsequent launches.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] However, by Nov 2023, it was announced that the launch of Volocopter’s air taxi operations in Singapore had been put on hold indefinitely, due to lack of ability to secure local partners who can share the burden of funding the technology involved.[22]
In January 2021, the company confirmed that theADAC had reserved two of its VoloCity aircraft for operational testing in 2023.[23]
Also in January 2021, the company announced that the FAA had accepted its application to concurrently validate theEuropean Union Aviation Safety Agency type certification it expects secure within the next three years. In the same announcement, the company claimed it was exploring launching Volocity within the United States to provide intra-city air taxi services in major metropolitan areas such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington, DC.[24]
In 2022, Volocopter raised $170 million in funding to launch its first air taxi services.[25]
In October 2022 demonstration flights were performed also in Italy, in a temporary vertiport nearRome Fiumicino airport, as preparation for an intended airtaxi service to downtownRome during the2025 Jubilee.[26]
In 2023, VoloCity hoped it would be flying athletes for the2024 Summer Olympics inParis[27] but that did not happen as it had not obtain the certification for the engine.[28]
In September 2023, theBristow Group announced that it had ordered two Volocopter VoloCity eVTOLs with an option to purchase 78 more. The helicopter company plans use the VoloCitys to establish a commercial passenger and cargo service in the US and UK.[29]
On November 13, 2023, the company flew its Volocopter 2X in New York, marking the aircraft's first flight in the city. The demonstration took place at theDowntown Manhattan Heliport (DMH) as part of an announcement by the city of its intention to electrify the facility.[30]
On 30 December 2024, Volocopter filed for insolvency as the company as unable to maintain proper funding to continue operations. The company will remain in operation during the proceedings.[31]
Summary of all products designed and built by Volocopter GmbH:
eVTOL aircraft
Vertical take off and landings eVTOL aircraft specialised airport
Drones
Digital products
At theEfeuCampus in Bruchsal, Volocopter is testing with partners such asKIT,SEW Eurodrive orSchenker on emission free and autonomous for urban freight logistics. TheLiving lab is funded by theEuropean Union and the stateBaden-Württemberg.[32]
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