The news of the flying-taxi developed by Lilium of Germany will be welcomed by those who are trying to come to terms with issues like Climate change and global warming. The search is already on to locate alternate sources of energy instead of conventional fossil fuels and electricity is a solution. Major car manufacturers have begun to develop electric cars and some countries have decided to ban fossil fuel vehicles over a period.

The Guardian reports about the novel concept of a flying taxi. German start-up Lilium has unveiled the vehicle, which will have VTOL capabilities.

This means it can take off and land vertically. Its power will come from electricity and it will be a five-seater. It could cater to an on-demand air service within six years. The plane had flown in 2017 and a modified version underwent flights earlier this month in Munich. It was a full-scale prototype.

Lilium is optimistic about its flying taxi

The company expects fares would be in the region of $70 per head for a city hop from, for example, JFK airport to Manhattan.

Daniel Wiegand, an official of the company, says - “We are taking another huge step towards making urban air mobility a reality.” The firm Lilium started in 2015 and it expects to be able to offer app-based flying-taxi services to different cities by 2025. The company will have to obtain certification of the planes from the authorities.

For this, its vehicles will have to pass through rigorous flight-testing. The firm wants to meet the ultimate demand for a quiet, green urban air travel.

The Guardian elaborates on the future of this new mode of commuting.

A Morgan Stanley analysis predicts the market for flying taxis to be worth $1.5tn by 2040. Many countries are concentrating on proving the eVTOLS – or electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Names like Uber, Airbus, and a Chinese drone manufacturer are involved. The Chinese had carried VIPs on a helicopter-shaped eVTOL in 2018. Incidentally, Boeing also has plans to have flying taxis in the air by 2020 in Dallas and Dubai.

The flying taxi will offer a new look air service

According to Forbes, the German air taxi startup Lilium is set to revolutionize short-distance air travel by its flying taxis. It will take off and land vertically, and make use of existing facilities of heliports and helicopter flight corridors for a start.

It will be able to carry four passengers and their luggage plus a pilot for up to 186 miles. This is roughly the distance between New York and Boston. The Munich-based company plans to interconnect different regions, especially those not connected by airlines. Its plans are, no doubt, ambitious and since it has focused on using Renewable Energy, it should be able to find takers. The days of fossil fuels are numbered.
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