Flying taxis are closer to becoming a reality. Better batteries and innovative designs are making it cheaper and easier to travel short distances.
At a tech summit in Singapore, two companies showed what future travel could look like.
Germany’s Volocopter took its two-person electric plane taxi for a test flight over Marina Bay. The vehicle traveled about one mile in almost two minutes. U.K.-based Skyports built a model flying taxi station.
Customers can use an app to book a ride and pick a station. A biometric scanner uses facial recognition technology to check them in. Flying taxi companies still need regulatory approval before they can start operating.
Citygroup predicts that as many as 20,000 electric air taxis could be sold annually by 2030. It also says the eventual cost of the ride will be 3.75 USD per mile, which is more expensive than most ground taxis.
Source: Bloomberg
