MUNICH: Forget sitting in traffic, breathing in fumes while you stare longingly through the window at the cyclists whizzing past you. The future of taxis is much more - well, futuristic.
German company Lilium has successfully tested a five-seater electric air taxi, joining a list of companies vying to commercialise air-taxi travel.
The 1.5 ton Lilium Jet prototype launched vertically and held its place in the air during the test, which took place outside of Munich. The next phase will be to engage in manoeuvres in the air, the company said.
Lilium hopes to introduce air taxis in at least two cities by 2025. The plan is for customers to be able to book them through its own booking platform.
The Lilium Jet, which has 36 electric jet motors, runs quietly and is being designed to fly 300kph for up to one hour at a time.
Chinese technology company Tencent and others have so far invested US$100 million in Lilium.
Other rivals in the field include Airbus, which tested a four-seater City-Airbus on May 1, while another German startup, Volocopter, has already obtained a license for its two-seater and flew a test run in Dubai in 2017. US rival Boeing has also completed a test run with an autonomous air taxi.
Lilium operates from Oberpfaffenhofen airport near Munich and employs 300 people.
