Ever since we saw The Jetsons in the 1960s, we've been waiting for flying cars. We aren't quite there yet, but we may see flying taxis at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris next year. And they will be powered by non-polluting electricity! The city is working on partnering with the German firm Volocopter to run their electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) to get people to the sports venues. These electric helicopters don't yet have the power necessary for long-range trips, but a city taxi service using them can cut trip times into fractions. That is, if they can nail down proposed routes and design a system for keeping the skies safe around other traffic. After all, there will be conventional helicopters in use, as well as innumerable drones.
Volocopter isn't the only company pioneering eVTOLs. American company Archer Aviation Inc. is poised to begin taxi runs in 2025, ramping up for full service at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Still, these taxi runs will be expensive, at least at first. Read about eVTOLs and where you might see them at NBC Sports. -via Fark
(image credit: Spielvogel)