News JVTech Stellantis invests heavily in flying taxis in addition to electric cars
Published on 06/01/2023 at 15:50
The Stellantis group with Peugeot and Citroën in particular will start making flying taxis, objectives for the Paris Olympics. But there is still a long way to go and the various governments will first have to be convinced.
Flying taxis: the future of personal transport?
The Stellantis Automotive Group, which includes Peugeot, Citroën, Fiat Chrysler and many others, will invest heavily in the creation of flying taxis. A very ambitious objective of 2,300 vehicles per year. To achieve this, Stellantis will invest 150 million dollars in the American company Archer Aviation, which designs flying taxis. This financial envelope will be granted for the last stages of development, by 2023 / 2024. So we also understand that Stellantis doesn’t really want to get wet for the moment either.
The Midnight aircraft, from its name, plans to be able to travel 161 kilometers with 3 passengers in addition to the pilot. The objective is to make short journeys of about thirty kilometers between airports and city centers for example. During each stopover, it can thus be recharged for about ten minutes. This gives it a ride for the whole day without ever breaking down.
Objective Paris 2024 for flying taxis!
It will be made in an American factory in the town of Covington in the state of Georgia, near Atlanta. The parallel is funny knowing that this is the city that hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics and that the first prototypes could fly above the Parisian sky for the Summer Olympics in 2024. The circle is complete .
The only thing missing beyond devices is regulation in Europe. Without European laws, it is impossible to steal anything. And strangely the government authorities do not seem for the moment fixed on the fate of the flying taxis. It is therefore not impossible that we see them first appear in the United States, and therefore not during the Paris Olympics.
This is a question of time. Time will have to be allowed for debate. Even if we are already in 2023 and next year will be the Paris Olympics. The capital was to be the center of new urban mobility. If the project does not arrive on time, it could disappoint more than one.
This kind of project fascinates as much as it frightens. Indeed, seeing aircraft overhead is not the most reassuring thing either. Especially since we know full well that this kind of technology will not be affordable and will surely initially be reserved for an elite, unfortunately.
