Flying super-sized drone taxis are using electric engines and should become lower cost than helicopters. Multiple engines should be safer as one or two engines could fail and there would not be a crash. The unfortunate example of the risk with helicopters was the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash last year.

eHang VTOL for Passengers and Packages

eHang is expanding into Europe in France, Spain and Austria. eHang is operating in China.

eHang is working on launching package delivery with DHL.

eHang has a valuation of $2.7 billion.

eHang is flying in 40 cities in China and could get the permit for air taxi operation this year. They expect this to be in common usage within 3 years.

Volocopter

Volocopter has raised €200 million in additional capital and in total has raised €322 million. They are targeting to have a commercial air taxi service in Singapore and Paris by 2023.

They are the first and only electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) company to receive Design Organisation Approval (DOA) by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. They have scaled up the eight-engine hobby drone to carry a pilot and a passenger.