German air taxi startup Volocopter announced on Friday that the FAA has accepted its application for concurrent type certificate validation for its VoloCity electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The company is currently pursuing certification of the VoloCity under EASA’s SC-VTOL rule, which was published in July 2019. Volocopter hopes to receive that certification in the next two to three years.
“From the beginning, we have considered the U.S. an important market for our services,” said Volocopter CEO Florian Reuter. “Certification is the key to this market, and we are excited to begin the process of seeking approval from the FAA to introduce this innovative era of mobility not only in Europe and Asia but also in the U.S.”
Unveiled in August 2019, the VoloCity air taxi is Volocopter’s fourth-generation eVTOL. It is expected to have a range of 35 km (19 NM), top airspeed of 110 km/h (59 knots) and payload of 200 kg (441 pounds). Volocopter reports that its eVTOL designs have completed more than 1000 test flights since 2011.
