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Stuttgart sees first urban flight of Volocopter in Europe

NCR Volocopter

Volocopter shows how an air taxi is turning the dream of driving into the dream of flying.

The Minister-President of the state of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann, experienced the first European urban flight of the Volocopter in Stuttgart together with the Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, Ola Källenius, the CEO of Volocopter GmbH, Florian Reuter, and Thomas Strobl, Minister of the Interior, Digitalisation and Migration for Baden-Württemberg. The flight is a highlight of the two-day event “Vision Smart City – Experience the mobility of the future today”.

Technical innovations and sustainable transport concepts for future mobility were presented at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart and included concepts of carsharing and electric vehicles. In addition to Daimler and Lab 1886, Daimler´s innovation lab, the state of Baden-Württemberg was present at the event with numerous exhibits and information booths, as part of the “Strategic Dialogue for the Automotive Sector in Baden-Württemberg”, to demonstrate to the public in a tangible and accessible way the versatile future mobility developments made in Baden-Württemberg.

Ola Källenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars: “Our partner Volocopter shows how an air taxi is turning the dream of driving into the dream of flying. At Daimler we also work on the mobility of the future. By 2022 we will have electrified the entire Mercedes-Benz portfolio and our goal is that electrically powered cars will account for more than half of our sales by 2030. The road to climate-neutral mobility is a joint effort of companies and politics. We at Daimler a willing and ready to make our contribution.”

Winfried Kretschmann, Minister-President of the state of Baden-Württemberg said he was very pleased that “Vision Smart City” shows future mobility ideas that are already being developed, including concepts for sustainable cities of the future, for autonomous driving and the intelligent interaction between different mobility concepts. “I am particularly proud that the “Strategic Dialogue for the Automotive Sector in Baden-Württemberg” is at the event as the dialogue between industry, science, trade unions and politics shows, that climate protection and sustainable employment is possible at the same time.”

Florian Reuter, CEO of Volocopter GmbH: “Our Volocopter air taxis open up a completely new dimension in urban mobility. As Stuttgart has seen today, they fly safely, quietly and are fast approaching the implementation stage. Volocopter air taxis are also able to ease traffic congestion in major cities around the world.”

The event is part of an initiative of a research project by the Technical University of Stuttgart to examine the social acceptance of air taxis.

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