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TECNALIA develops the first air taxi for pilot-less city transport

15 July 2019

The vehicle is a prototype which is one of the first three in Europe and the first in Spain that is expected to be on the market within 5 years

The urban mobility of the future has its eyes set on the skies. Vehicles are expected to be seen flying across cities around the world as an alternative to land transport within the next decade. In fact, the “air taxi” business is expected to reach some 32 billion euros by 2035 according to a study by Porsche Consulting.

There are currently 6 prototypes worldwide and the research and technological development centre TECNALIA has presented the first Spanish prototype in Donostia-San Sebastián, which is designed to cover short distances in cities without a pilot. It is a prototype designed to transport a person or loads of up to 150 kilogrammes and to cover urban distances of up to 15 kilometres in 15 minutes, meaning it will be able to cover the transport requirements of urban centres in 85% of the world’s cities. The vehicle will travel at 90 km/h during journeys, although its architecture could allow speeds of up to 190 km/h, with a cruising height of between 100 and 300 metres, pending the evolution of current legislation.

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